Broad Beans

[Urban Fox]

I've a few broad beans (at various stages of growth) still in pots.

Hopefully the weather looks good this week. So, I'd like to plant them out and direct sow a few seeds too - to make up the numbers.

Do I need to protect the pot grown plants from the local pigeon population?

many thanks

Christina

[Compo]

It would not do any harm Christina but it is usually Brassica's that the pigeons go for, rabbits and the bean weevil are more likely to get your beans!!! My main advice would be to make sure they have hardened off if they have been grown under glass, although they are pretty tough plants....just make sure they have a few days in a sheltered spot before putting them in the open ground.

Good luck

CoMpO

[Monika]

I would protect them with wire netting, Christina, because if you have pigeons in the neighbourhood they are likely to discover a nice pristine row of newly planted broadbeans. Even if they don't eat them all, they will pull them out (first thing in the morning is a favourite time) and the plants will dry up before you get to them. Better to be safe then sorry!

If you think they might benefit from a bit of shelter against the elements, fleece would of course be even better, both against the wind and cold and against the pigeons.

[Colin Miles]

When I was in Hemel Hempstead we had problems on the allotment with at least one Pigeon who ate the actual beans out of the pods! As always, tastes can vary and if a bird, bug or beastie gets a taste for something then it doesn't matter what the books say.

[Johnboy]

Pigeons will have a crack at just about anything. The Wood Pigeons that come down onto my lawn (grassed area) are being very helpful at present and eating whole daisy flower buds and there are enough to keep a dozen Pigeons going for at least a week. Generally they are feeding on the stubble where the spuds will go this year and there are many annual weeds but more especially Chickweed.
I had trouble with them last year taking the tops out of my Alderman Peas. I grow up two heights of pig netting overlapped in the middle to give me 5' which gave them the perfect roost. I now have three strands of nylon string hanging fairly loosely above the row so that they cannot land onto the wire. It seemed to solve the problem.
In the past, prior to the event of netting they have had young carrot tops, parsnip tops and really just about anything that is new.
The incident of Pigeons has decreased over the years because of the introduction of Oil Seed Rape where they are more rigorously pursued.
In short; shot!
JB.

[Monika]

Colin, we have the same problem every year now with jackdaws ripping open the pea and broad bean pods to eat the actual peas/beans so we have to build a sort of "fruit cage" over all our peas and broad beans. They never touched them during our first two years or so at the allotment, but then seemed to discover the taste and have been giving us trouble ever since!

It's no good just throwing over a net, because when they sit on the net they press it down and eat the pods through it! Runner beans are never affected!

[Urban Fox]

I decided to cover the broad beans with fleece as a precaution.

Last year I foolishly left out some tomato and pepper plants and the pigeons nipped the tops of the lot.

All I was left with was some sad looking stalks and not much time to start again.

so, better safe than sorry with the broad beans.

Many thanks for all the replies - as always the people on this forum are always full of good advice.

Christina

[Tigger]

I've put the first 100 broad beans out today, covered with net and swinging CDs. I've also planted out a dozen group of canoe peas, to the same standard. Will have to see what happens next!