Beans

[Green oak]

Put spring beans I now or wait till the ground warms up!!! Going to dd them with a Claydon is the middle of April to late?

 

[Clive]

It far to cold for spring crops yet surely ??

Soil temp is only a couple of degrees

 

[Green oak]

That's my gut instinct guys around me putting them in. I would ideally like to put them in and they get of to a cracking start eg warmer soil!! But if that's the third week in April is that to late.

 

[Clive]

That's my gut instinct guys around me putting them in. I would ideally like to put them in and they get of to a cracking start eg warmer soil!! But if that's the third week in April is that to late.

Personally I think there are a lot of bored farmers that have done nothing for months just desperate to get a tractor out of the yard

If they stopped and thought about it planting seed into almost frozen seedbeds isn't the brightest thing

A couple of weeks patience will make all the difference I hope - this is not a year for Callander farming

 

[franklin]

Depends how much you have to do. If lots, you want to be starting now. If only a bit, do it when it is right. We dont get many "right" days so a compromise has to be made.

 

[Green oak]

26ha

 

[Robigus]

We've got lots of spring work to do, and the forecast for next week is warmer, so we will start drilling tomorrow.

 

[DRC]

must admit with the sun out today and the wind blowing ,i decided to try and cultivate some ground that was ploughed last sept.
Absolute waste of time,wetter than it was a month ago after all the snow we had weekend before last.
Looking across into wales the hills are still completely white and think we should put the calender back a month if not two.
Come to think of it,it's only us humans that live by a calender,nature doesn't know what month it is!
Agronomist said,spraying season will be over in about 10 weeks!

 

[B&B Pig Man]

How close can you put beans in a rotation?

How about every 3 years - but alternating between winter and spring?

 

[franklin]

On a long term basis? I have grown them one in two, but if you are planning a rotation you wont want to see pulses more than one in six.

 

[Green oak]

must admit with the sun out today and the wind blowing ,i decided to try and cultivate some ground that was ploughed last sept.
Absolute waste of time,wetter than it was a month ago after all the snow we had weekend before last.
Looking across into wales the hills are still completely white and think we should put the calender back a month if not two.
Come to think of it,it's only us humans that live by a calender,nature doesn't know what month it is!
Agronomist said,spraying season will be over in about 10 weeks!

Very true trees and hedgerows not greened up yet! Birds not singing like spring.

 

[Andrew K]

It might be cold but we have spring wheat drilled early March that looks likely to emerge next week, i would rather that, than a wet spell on heavy land holding me off till May! Crops like Borage ,Spring rape and Linseed will wait a bit though.

 

[Monocock]

It's too late for beans if you want more than 2.5 tph. They're a large robust seed and should have gone in 3 weeks ago. They're not bothered by the cold like softer small-seeded spring crops like linseed etc.

 

[RBM]

Our beans went in a couple of weeks ago and surprisingly have 4-5cm of chits on them.

 

[Monocock]

Mine too. I put 130 acres in at the end of Feb and they're nearly through. I really don't think it's worth drilling them now, unless you've bought the seed and are determined to get them in.

 

[B&B Pig Man]

Our beans went in a couple of weeks ago and surprisingly have 4-5cm of chits on them.

Same here!

 

[franklin]

It's too late for beans if you want more than 2.5 tph.

No it isnt. Drilled beans from 1st week in feb to 2nd week in April and consistantly yield well above that. Did 3t to the acre with beans from April drilled, in the wet year or 2007. Beans need moisture to yield. Hence I cant understand why folk seem keen to avoid rolling them.

 

[Monocock]

Hence I cant understand why folk seem keen to avoid rolling them.

Because beans are notoriously bad at breaking through soil that's been capped over by rolls. I agree that if conditions are good then a roll is the perfect way to finish off a good establishment. However, if the rolls are going to compact the profile in any way due to any damp clay in the soil, they're best left in the shed.

I still think it's getting on a bit to expect much from beans now especially when they'll be slow to get away in 3 degree soil. But there are no strict rules! Anyone can drill them in June if they want to!! :-D

 

[DRC]

It's too late for beans if you want more than 2.5 tph. They're a large robust seed and should have gone in 3 weeks ago. They're not bothered by the cold like softer small-seeded spring crops like linseed etc.

Have to disagree.I have sown beans 16th april and had the best yield.Even 30cwt/acre at £300 is surely got to be better than doing nothing as they can be grown fairly cheaply and you will have a yield advantage with the following wheat crop. 2ton is £600/acre,i wouldn't give up just yet.

 

[franklin]

The main reason I dislike beans so much is that if they yield well, it is a sure sign that we have had a nasty wet time of it.

Will finish rolling beans today. Very dry now on top.

 

[Trigger Happy]

Just been checking through my old diaries - autumn 2000 was wet with alot of ww not drilled,spring also wet,
we started drilling sp beans on April 27 2001 and finished our last field on May 9.Patience paid off that year,
they went in well and went on to yield 1.75t/ac.Harvest was later than ideal (mid sept on) but a quick turnround
and back into ww1. So time yet in imho!

 

[WalkingScarecrow]

Yayyyy I like an optimist!

 

[yellow belly]

my land that is coming beans is too wet and has snow in the hedge bottoms

the problem with late planted beans is on lighter droughty land that can be planted earlier

the worst crop is no crop uncropped setaside only paid when wheat was £60 a ton
a crop to dry the soil out that covers operating costs will make profit from the extra yeald in 2014

 

[Fuzzy]

How close can you put beans in a rotation?

How about every 3 years - but alternating between winter and spring?

Pgro will advise you no more than One in five.