BEAN - ELEONORA

  Organic Broad Bean Eleonora

        10 Seeds Pack    

The Eleonora Broad Bean, also known as Fava Bean, is a versatile and slightly later-maturing variety compared to Ratio. Reaching a modest height of up to 1 meter, it is well-suited for small gardens, allotments, and exposed sites where taller varieties might struggle. This makes it an excellent choice for gardeners with limited space or those in windy areas.

An improved selection of the popular Express variety, Eleonora stands out for its high productivity and impressive pod quality. It produces long, shiny pods packed with plump, flavourful white beans. These beans are prized for their creamy texture and delicate flavour, making them a favourite in a variety of dishes, from hearty stews to fresh salads. Compensates with its robust yields and longer, well-filled pods. Its resilience is another standout feature this variety is notably resistant to wind damage, ensuring a reliable harvest even in less-than-ideal growing conditions. Whether you’re a commercial grower or a home gardener, Eleonora offers a dependable and delicious crop.

    PLANTING & GROWING

Soaking needs to be done at least a few hours before planting, and preferably overnight. To prevent damping off when starting seeds indoors, it’s essential that you disinfect all of your plastic grow trays, seed cells, and seedling tray covers before you reuse them.  
Sow straight into the ground in October and November for the earliest crops in the following May. It can also be sown in the spring for mid-summer harvest. 
The broad bean germinates with acceptable readiness already with soil temperatures around 5°C even if the resistance of the broad bean to cold is limited; in fact temperatures of even 1 - 2 degrees can compromise the harvest.  Broad beans require trellising for support.
 Sow seeds 5–7.5cm (2–3in) deep and 15–23cm (6–9in) apart, depending on the cultivar. In open ground, sow in single rows 45cm (18in) apart or double rows 23cm (9in) apart with 60cm (2ft) between each double row. In raised beds, where space is not needed to walk between rows for picking, all rows can be spaced 23cm (9in) apart.
The white and black flowers appear late spring and are very fragrant. Pollinated by bees and other insects the flowers give way to bright green pods.

Most broad beans are partially self-fertile but you will have a much better crop if insects pollinate them as well. This varies depending on the variety. We explain below how they can pollinate themselves and some problem areas.
As a broad bean flower develops, the stigma inside the flower becomes taut and it is also bent over. Insect activity in the flower will cause the stigma to spring open onto the pollen allowing fertilisation to occur. In some cases, where there is no insect activity, the stigma will ripen and spring open as a result of wind movement. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't which explains why poor pollination can occur.
Some bees have become lazy in recent years and instead of entering the flower from the front to get at the nectar, they drill a small hole at the base of the flower and get the nectar from there. This type of bee activity is not so efficient as far as pollination is concerned.
Another problem with broad bean pollination is that different varieties will easily pollinate each other if insects are allowed to go between the varieties. This will often result in pods which are not true to type.
When the first beans appear at the base of your plants it's time to pinch out the juicy tips. This is done to reduce the chance of black bean aphid attack and to stimulate strong growth with plenty of pods. Simply pinch the stem below the top two leaves so that it breaks neatly off. These tips can be eaten raw in salads or steamed like spinach.

Good companions for broad beans include: carrots, lettuce, marigolds, celery, peas, potatoes, parsnips, cabbage, parsley, and eggplant. 
Avoid planting near: beetroot, onions & garlic, kohlrabi, sunflowers and Jerusalem artichokes.