For a few years now I have been experimenting with "homesteader" crops. Vegetables that may not be a huge commercial offering - but lend themselves to those of us who like to grow our own. Before Drake and Raleigh played silly beggars on the high seas and we knew nothing of potatoes, rice and all those other elements of starchy goodness, three crops were key to getting us through the winter, wheat, parsnips and beans. Now I have passed on parsnip seeds to many forum members and am a hundred percent confident in my techniques there. Wheat I am still working on finding the right variety for both straw and berry, but I do have another selection now for those who may have an interest in such things - field beans (specifically the "Wizard" strain)
Field beans are smaller and better flavoured Broad Beans. Each pod holds three or four beans, but you get a lot of pods! The plants grow approximately 3 feet high and are robust, but may need some support in high winds (a few lengths of string around the whole patch suffices here)
Grow 1 foot apart in both rows and plant spacing – although it may be worth planting at 6” intervals and thinning out in case some do not germinate Plant in situ in March / April and harvest in late Summer (you can also plant in October for an Over Wintering crop harvesting the following May
'Wizard' is cold hardy and designed for a human foodstuff (many field beans are intended as animal fodder), it tastes great when the beans are young and tender, mature, or even dried and then re-hydrated.
Let some pods go black and dry on the plant for next years seed.
So my question is, would any members like to have some "Wizard" field beans to grow in their own garden or allotment?
I would not charge as such bit would ask for a donation as I will have to buy jiffy bags and send as small parcels as they are too large to go by letter post
I am thinking that perhaps 25 would be enough as they use some space - but I can supply more for those with larger allotments and small holdings - just let me know what you need
This isn't a "sales" thread at the moment - just checking to see if Field beans are too esoteric for people or if there might be some interest. As with all the seeds I have sent out, they are open pollinated and grown without chemicals. You can seed save your own after the first year and shouldn't need to buy seeds for this type of plant again!
Red
Field beans are smaller and better flavoured Broad Beans. Each pod holds three or four beans, but you get a lot of pods! The plants grow approximately 3 feet high and are robust, but may need some support in high winds (a few lengths of string around the whole patch suffices here)
Grow 1 foot apart in both rows and plant spacing – although it may be worth planting at 6” intervals and thinning out in case some do not germinate Plant in situ in March / April and harvest in late Summer (you can also plant in October for an Over Wintering crop harvesting the following May
'Wizard' is cold hardy and designed for a human foodstuff (many field beans are intended as animal fodder), it tastes great when the beans are young and tender, mature, or even dried and then re-hydrated.
Let some pods go black and dry on the plant for next years seed.
So my question is, would any members like to have some "Wizard" field beans to grow in their own garden or allotment?
I would not charge as such bit would ask for a donation as I will have to buy jiffy bags and send as small parcels as they are too large to go by letter post
I am thinking that perhaps 25 would be enough as they use some space - but I can supply more for those with larger allotments and small holdings - just let me know what you need
This isn't a "sales" thread at the moment - just checking to see if Field beans are too esoteric for people or if there might be some interest. As with all the seeds I have sent out, they are open pollinated and grown without chemicals. You can seed save your own after the first year and shouldn't need to buy seeds for this type of plant again!
Red
Last edited:
