Comments on: Broad Beans, Onions, Potting On and Percy Pigeon

By: karenO

karenO — Fri, 15 May 2009 19:21:04 +0000

Hi Alison I’m here looking to see why my broad bean flowers are dropping off without fruit but it sounds from replies on another site as thought this is normal and if I’m patient the beans will follow.

I too am novice but I know last year our runner beans had those little ‘brains’ on the roots when we dug them up to throw away. We were looking for the nitrogen fixing nodules that are on the roots of legumes and assumed this is what they were. The beans were great. Sorry it sounds as though you may have thrown away good broad bean plants!

I’ve just read on and see Bob has already answered you.

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:58:20 +0000

The stuff clinging to the roots you wrote about alison might be nitrogen. This is because the roots of legumes such as broad beans fix nitrogen which is good for the soil.

By: John

John — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:26:47 +0000

Bit of a mystery to me – best thing to do would be to ask on the chat forum as somebody else may well have come across this before.

By: Allison simpson

Allison simpson — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:53:41 +0000

Hi I hope you can help me as i am a novice veg grower. Last October I dug over some of my garden for a veg patch. The area had previously been covered with pebbles. the earth was clay which I dug over and added lots of top soil and compost bought from the garden center. I sowed some broad beans ( Sutton ) in pots under cover in November and planted them out as per instructions. They have grown really well but the flowers have drop off and no beans have grown. i have fed them with blood fish and bone and some pot ash. It has rained a lot so i have had no need to water them. i have garlic growing next to them. I decided to dig a plant up as i was worried about the flowers and no beans. There was funny white stuff on the roots that looked like a very small brain. It was solid and firm. so i dug up all the plants and binned them. Do you Know what the white stuff could be and is it safe to plant some broccoli and kale in a few weeks time. Thanks

By: John

John — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 21:20:05 +0000

Pigeon droppings I think are like poultry droppings – very strong – although I have read that pigeon manure is low in nitrogen and will not ‘burn’ plants, I wouldn’t trust that information without trialing on a crop I could afford to lose.
I’ve heard they’re good for onion beds.
My own feeling would be to mix them in with the compost as an activator and use the compost as usual.
Sorry I’m no expert on pigeon poo! Try asking on the forums – bet there’s someone who will know on there

By: ray

ray — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 10:58:46 +0000

Can you advise me on using pidgeon droppings on my allotment.
The guys two allotments away have told me that I can take any ammount to use. Canwick allotmenteers. Lincoln.