Nora

DESCRIPTION:  Delicious and easy to grow.   When the beans are ready for eating they are green and are tasty as a fresh vegetable, even in salads.  Once the pods start maturing the seeds darken and eventually become purple black. 

These plants grow to about a meter tall.  Planting and seasonal conditions can give you either a shorter plant, or under optimal conditions a much taller tall plant.  Each plant bears prolifically.  It does not grow well in our hot weather.  Light frosts are no problem.  We like to have two plantings of these delicious vegetables.  First planting in early to mid Autumn.  We like to do the second planting come mid August.  If you have heavy frosts, plan so you do not have the plants flowering during the worst frost months.  Staking these plants is very beneficial.  First plant the supports, then the seeds. 

PLANTING SEASON - a guide: 

Eastern Cape, Little Karoo, Free State High Veld, KZN:  April & May

Free State, Northern Cape, Great Karoo:  March to April

Western Cape & Cape south Coast:  April to June

GERMINATION  10 - 14 days (in cold weather, germination times can be doubled)

SOWING DEPTH:  3 - 5 cm

SPACING:  In rows, 5 cm apart

                    rows 20 - 30 cm 

EXPOSURE:  full sun

SOIL PREPARATION:  Broad beans are heavy feeders for the legume family.  Add plenty of compost and/or manure.  The optimum soil pH is between  6 - 7.

CULTURE:  Keep free of weeds.  Water regularly, especially when the plants start to flower, and beans start forming.  Some people find it worth while to plant 2 - 3 rows close together, as it helps protect the plants against heavy winds and rain, as well as creating a micro-climate with an increased humidity for the plants.  Staking the plants will improve the yield of the crop.  To stake, run a string in front of and behind each row.

 THESE SEEDS ARE PRODUCED ORGANICALLY.

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