4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Guest]

well, we've had rhubarb from our garden and now the young broad beans are ready!

 

Had them tonight with the rump steak we got from the farmers' market, the new potatoes we got from the farm and some free range egg coleslaw from the co-op

 

pudding was the strawbs from the farmers' market, a bit of vanilla ice cream and some cream

 

won't be long now til we can eat our own potatoes and strawbs!

 

some pics so you can share our dinner If only you could have tasted it, it was incredible!

 

[chickencam]

Eating your own produce is so rewarding and tasty.

 

Home grown young broadbeans are so different from shop bought ones

 

We had some more spinach from our raised beds last night, it was lovely Haven't sown any more yet though

[chickencam]

Your photo hadn't loaded by the time I replied, so I tought I couln't see it for some reason. Great dinner, you ate the beans in their pods, not something I have tried for a while I found them a bit slimey when I tried. Maybe I'll give it another go.

[chili pepper]

I havent eaten anything yet, still waiting. Already planning the quiche I'm going to make along with my home grown new pots and lettuce. Cant wait

[Guest]

Your photo hadn't loaded by the time I replied, so I tought I couln't see it for some reason. Great dinner, you ate the beans in their pods, not something I have tried for a while I found them a bit slimey when I tried. Maybe I'll give it another go.

 

just steam them for about 3 mins, if you have a steamer you can do it over your potatoes

 

It's the first year we've grown anything in the garden and it's such a buzz eating something you've grown yourself isn't it!

 

Apparently the Americans call broad Beans 'Fava Beans' so I'm wondering if we should have them next time with some liver and a nice chianti fffffffffffffffffff

[Guest]

I havent eaten anything yet, still waiting. Already planning the quiche I'm going to make along with my home grown new pots and lettuce. Cant wait

 

 

sounds delish! I love quiche, broccoli, cheese and onion is my favourite.

[redhotchick]

Hi Poet,

Can anyone advise me roughly how long it takes from broad bean flowers appearing to being able to pick the pods please.

[Guest]

Hi Poet,

Can anyone advise me roughly how long it takes from broad bean flowers appearing to being able to pick the pods please.

 

I asked my gardener (aka my hubbie) and he said about 5-6 weeks.

[redhotchick]

Hi Poet,

Can anyone advise me roughly how long it takes from broad bean flowers appearing to being able to pick the pods please.

 

I asked my gardener (aka my hubbie) and he said about 5-6 weeks.

 

I've got a while to wait yet then

[AJuff]

I'm amazed your broad beans are ready. Mine are still at the flowering stage!! Perhaps we are too far north or they need more sun than they get at present. . . .

[Guest]

Mine haven't even got as far as flowering, so don't worry!!

[Guest]

our rhubarb was ready in feb, I think we're just in a good, sunny, sheltered spot here!

[Guest]

It depends when you planted them too!

[Penny]

Good grief - mine are still less than a foot high! What have you been feeding them on?

[Guest]

according to the gardener they're an 'over winter' variety so they've been in since the back end of last year.

 

Just had some more tonight with our first crop of spinach

 

[AJuff]

Er when should I prick out the tips of broad beans?

[Guest]

my gardener didn't bother pricking the tops as he's read 2 schools of thought; one said do it, the other not to do it, so he didn't bother

[redhotchick]

Good question AJuff, and is it necessary at all if there is no sign of aphids?

 

Also I believe the tips, once removed, can be eaten, is this raw in salad or blanched in hot water?

 

Mine are only about a foot high but are covered in flowers. Quite fed up this afternoon, the wind has broken a whole stem off, about 3 dozen flowers! (yes I counted ) Therefore 3 dozen pods not surviving to yield!

[Guest]

. Quite fed up this afternoon, the wind has broken a whole stem off, about 3 dozen flowers! (yes I counted ) Therefore 3 dozen pods not surviving to yield!

 

have you got them tied to canes? DH did ours like this. We lost a couple of stems to what we assumed was frost. The rest are doing well, fingers x'd

 

 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=919198&l=c883f&id=568396756

 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26024&l=e9250&id=568396756

Edited May 28, 2008 by Guest

[Valkyrie]

My beans haven't produced flowers yet either (crimson flowered variety) but yesterday I had to squirt them with soapy water - so many blackfly already (then had to do the other beans). Still, looks like the flowers are beginning to form. Watched a programme the other day and they said pinch out the tops before flowering?? That adds to "pinch out after first beans have formed" - I think basically you can do what you like best, trial and error basis. But I do pinch the tops eventually and treat like spinach - toss in a little butter, and yummy - can't wait.

[Lewis]

Just looking at your facebook photos.

 

Why do you put crushed egg shells around the spinach to keep the slugs away? Is it to do with the calcium?

I have never heard of this before!

[Egluntyne]

Isn't it to do with it being unpleasant for them to crawl over?

 

I tried it last year, along with bran and grit and even aubiose. It made not a hap'orth of difference.

[Guest]

Isn't it to do with it being unpleasant for them to crawl over?

 

 

 

correct.

 

seems to be working okay, hope it continues to

[Matthew]

I'm using coffee grounds and so far so good

[chickencam]

I had heard about coffee grounds i will have to save mine, because we drink quite a bit of real coffee here