Autumn sowing of Beans and Peas

Does anyone have any ideas on stopping short tongued bees robbing the nectar from my broad beans without pollinating them?

I sometimes have to use a net against carpenter bees who bite through the base of the flowers. The problem has improved now there are other flowers for them to feed on- a good excuse for leaving the early dandelions!

If you net them, are other insects trapped in the nets or how do they then get pollinated?

It is quite a wide mesh ( originally part of a fruit cage) so smaller insects can get in and out. The carpenter bee is pretty big!

I usually sow some of 'The Sutton' in the autumn but wont be bothering this year. There's only me in the house who eats them and I have a freezer full.
I grew Bunyards Exhibition earlier in the year and had a good crop. My Dad always grew these so I think I will give the autumn sown beans a miss and wait until spring.

I was gonna give it a miss but found some 2017 seeds as well as my own saved seeds from this year, first time saving.

Thought I'd sow these now and any disasters I can sow some other seeds direct next year.

Like you Danny, I don't  bother with autumn BB's, but I did save some Masterpiece Longpod seed this year,  so may give it a try.  Veggie is definitely an influencer !  I may have to get off my behind and force myself out into the damp and dreary weather.

 Veggie is definitely an influencer !  I may have to get off my behind and force myself out into the damp and dreary weather.

 Ooohh, am I really an "Influencer"? They make lots of money on media channels.

You can pay me in seeds. 

Out of date ones perhaps, and anyway, any seeds I could possibly pay you with would be no excitement, your 'library' is far more extensive than mine.

Veggie, a question for you.....
The only peas I have are mangetout bijou. I'm not a pea grower normally. Would bijou over winter?

Well, due to slight pressure, I did get out today and, like Danny, sowed some Masterpiece saved seeds.

JJB pid='11470' dateline='1605621104']Veggie, a question for you.....
The only peas I have are mangetout bijou.  I'm not a pea grower normally.  Would bijou over winter?

I've grown them in the GH overwinter .  I've just cleared the last of the toms today and left the canes in place. I'm going to sow some Bijou there. They're tall so will need support.

Photo from early 2018 - undated but before the tomatoes were in the GH

   

I'm going to sow some bijou today, I reckon. Do you start them off indoors , or will they germinate in a cold gh? Also how many plants would you consider to each MFB, knowing their ultimate size?

I'll "probably" start them in modules somewhere safe from the meeces as they hang about in the GHs looking for peas. I may bung a few old seeds in direct as I'm not sure how viable they are now.
How many??? You expect me to know? A circle of them - don't ask me the diameter of the circle!!

I'm going to sow some bijou today, I reckon.  Do you start them off indoors , or will they germinate in a cold gh?  Also how many plants would you consider to each MFB, knowing their ultimate size?

Hiya JJB

I've bunged mine in loo rolls one seed per roll. They are in a tray out in the back yard.

Last year I did my BB's in root trainers again outside in the yard, they all germinated and went well.