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Julia’s veggies - Broad beans Healthy Growing, Healthy Eating

Vegetable of the Season – Broad bean: The broad bean (Vicia faba) or fava bean,
is very different from other types of beans. For a start they grow much bigger pods and you
only eat the beans inside, unless they are eaten when small. The plants themselves are beautiful
with masses of pretty flowers. Then at the end of winter when the plants have finished producing
beans they can be slashed and dug into the soil. Broad bean plants are legumes and by adding
them to the soil they act as a green manure and enrich the soil ready for the spring planting.
Companion plants: Kohlrabi, beetroot, cabbages, cauliflower, leeks, kale, lettuce, spinach,
parsley and African marigold. Do not grow with onions, dill or fennel..

Organic Gardening Tips
• As the weather warms, broad beans may be attacked by black aphids and the simplest solution
is to remove the growing tips to which the aphids are attracted. When the aphids are first spo tted,
they can be dislodged from the plant using a jet of water or otherwise spray with a weak
solution of biodegradable dishwashing liquid to kill them.
• The plants can grow up to 1.5metres tall and will need staking in windy areas. I grow mine inside tunnels
and find that a few sticks with string around all of the plants is sufficient to give them support.
• Mulch around the plants for weed control and soil insulation in the colder weeks of winter.
• Broad bean plants grown under shade netting should survive below freezing temperatures but
otherwise cover with fleece or hessian.
Winter Workshops & Events

Wednesday 5th May –Online Organic Horticulture Course starts
Saturday 8th May – Farmer’s Market at the Rugby Club; Sat 22nd May- Organic Horticulture Masterclass
at Greenhouse Technologies – Part One; Sat 29th May - Organic Horticulture Masterclass at Greenhouse
Technologies – Part Two, including optional visit to Kingfisher Farm
Saturday 6th June – Farmer’s Market at the Rugby Club
Saturdays, 13th & 20th June – Introduction to Organic Gardening/Farming Workshops (to be confirmed)
Saturday 27th June –Winter Open Farm Event in Notwane, 10am to 4pm
Saturday 4th July – Farmer’s Market at the Rugby Club
Saturday 11th & 18th July – Advanced Organic Gardening/Farming Workshops (to be confirmed)
Email: jellyfishfarmer@yahoo.com for more details or to receive our weekly newsletter.
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