When to pinch out broad beans?

Womble54

Silly broad bean question. 

This is is my first year growing them. I’ve got 10 plants growing up a wigwam. Sown in modules, planted out in late April. It said they should get to about 1.5m tall.

They’re now about 1-1.2m tall and looking good. There’s lots of flowers and beans forming on the lower parts. I’ve had some black fly but not too many. I just squash them every few days when I see them.

I've read that you should pinch out the tips to help control black fly and encourage more beans, but if I pinch them out now will they get any taller?

There are some side shoots forming too and those are starting to put out flowers. Should I pinch out the side shoots or let them grow?

In summary to pinch or not to pinch?

Thanks

Womble54

Ive got runner beans and French beans growing next to them.

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Womble54

Awesome, thanks. I’ll get pinching!

Dovefromabove

Don't throw away the tips that you nip out ... take out a good bunch of leaves and steam them and eat them as a tasty veg ... all they need is a knob of butter and some pepper. 

Womble54

OMG they’re amazing!
There were two pods at the bottom with 1cm beans. I quickly fried them is butter with the tips and a pinch of salt & pepper. Wow!

Dovefromabove

   Delicious ... glad you like them ... I love broad beans and there's nothing as good as having them absolutely fresh from the garden 

Green Magpie

Huh. I am now suffering from Broad Bean Envy. I love broad beans, but the mice came when mine were just germinated and pulled them all up, ate the beans and left the shoots. I sowed some more seeds -  don't ask about the mice, let's just say I dealt with them -  but it was too little, too late, and I won't get much of a crop this year.
I pinch mine out as soon as there's any sign of blackfly, and then sometimes take off a bit more of the tops later if the plants get a bit straggly , to encourage more beans lower down. 

Dovefromabove

We sow our broad beans (Aquadulce Claudia) direct in the ground in late October/early November, so we're harvesting a crop by early May and this seems to avoid the blackfly attack. 
We didn't grow any this year 'cos I was out of sync with everything due to breaking my foot in the summer .... we really miss our broad beans ... however, at a push the bought frozen ones are ok but they sell out quickly, so if you don't have any in your garden you should stock up now!  Not forgetting to leave room for all the frozen runner beans you're going to have 

tessagardenbarmy

Broad Beans risotto with white wine ,good veggie stock finished with mint and parmesan cheese. My absolute favourite x
Oh yes time to pinch out those tips.

cornelly

We cook the pods as well when they are young, always our first meal is beans in pods, lovely, had them a week or so ago.