Johnboy wrote:Hi Colin,
Field Beans do not stand the winter .I take it that you are talking about beans grown agriculturally for animal food stuff. If this is the case why did you grow them? If it was for green manure I feel that they are not really the thing to grow and there must be something with a better return.
JB.
Well, I both agree and disagree JB, let me explain.
In all the stuff I've read about Green Manures, Field Beans figure regularly. For example, here's a quote from the following website http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/todo_now/faqs.php?id=8
"Field beans - Legume; winter hardy. Only worth growing if you want to sow something as late as November."
However, as you say I expect Field Beans are normally grown for eating by species other than us! This year I decided that in future, I'll either plant peas or broad beans instead of Field Beans. That way, if they produce any beans, I'll get the benefit!
In the meantime, I think the idea of Field Beans is to add Nitrogen and prevent weeds moving in. And unlke the HDRA quote above, my ones don't seem to have coped with cold so far (unless it was just my pruning).
Colin