Any farmers about?

[Whatwouldscullydo]

I have a question if you dont mind me asking. During lockdown dds and I went on multiple walks that took us around fields that had been planted.

It was lovely to see them grow and omg the bees...it was so lovely and so many you could just hear buzzing...

Due to hot weather and excessive bugs everywhere, we didnt go round the fields fir a bit

When we last saw them the plants which I think were either soya beans or broad beans, the plants had grown quite big and there were flowers and beans/pods and they were all green .

We went today and they were all black. So black and shrivelled at first I thought they had been burnt.

We debated some theories as to what happened. I just wondered if there were any farmers about who could explain why they had all been left to die rather than harvested or if they had been burnt on purpose ...

TIA

[BindTheWobbinUp]

@Whatwouldscullydo

I think it was weather issues (wrong weather at the wrong time!) rather than pests or disease

Thats certainly something that must be noticeably worse now? This year has been really erratic.

Yes, it's been a terrible year. We've had crop failures, then we couldn't get most of our winter crops in the ground as it was so wet.
We're only halfway through harvest when usually we're just about finished by now. It all makes for a very grumpy farmer (DH) I only get my hands dirty in harvest and I'm fed up too!

2021 WILL be a better year for everyone, won't it??

[littlecatfeet]

While your daughters are taking an interest - which is great! - they might also be interested in learning how legume crops like these beans are 'nitrogen fixers' - they change the soil they are grown in and farmers rotate crops (plant different things in the same ground) to improve the soil without using fertilisers.

[MotherPiglet]

This thread is genuinely fascinating. My DS is only 2 but really interested in tractors, combine harvesters, etc. I'm hoping to broaden the interest into farming as he grows. I love coming across information like this when I wasnt expecting it.

[Champagneforeveryone]

@MotherPiglet

This thread is genuinely fascinating. My DS is only 2 but really interested in tractors, combine harvesters, etc. I'm hoping to broaden the interest into farming as he grows. I love coming across information like this when I wasnt expecting it.

If he's only 2 you need to watch Tractor Ted with him. Be warned though, DS is 16 now and DH and I still occasionally find ourselves humming "The Muckspreading Song"

[Whatwouldscullydo]

Well dd2 was very relieved to hear they are meant to be black. ( dd1 still in bed)

I should never have shown her a clip of a man planting sone jeans she's now on amazon looking at plant pots and compost and I've had ro stop her adding red sunflowers to the basket

And shes found some purple carrots.

[Whatwouldscullydo]

Some beans

No one plants jeans do they

[mosscarpet]

oh bless her. if you do want to plant something probably too late for beans now, but you could get some spinach (look for perpetual spinach)or lettuce/salad leaf type seeds to plant in a little pot which would germinate and grow quite quickly.

[Whatwouldscullydo]

Yes i might do that sge likes growing things. Gardening club at school obviously got cut short.

I think I have to draw the line at the requested green house though...

She can go talk of my parents ears now while I try and function on a morning shift 😅

[britnay]

This is an estate near where I live and they do some great farming videos. Very different to ones of farming in the USA!
www.youtube.com/user/WarterPrioryEstate

[Whatwouldscullydo]

That's something to watch later thank you:) I plan to visit a farm shop tomorrow as well so will be buying some end results with any luck

[anuffername]

I'm not in the UK and we are lucky enough to be surrounded by sunflowers in the summer, but they are starting to look a bit sad now that September is here.

[slightchill]

Could it be soya? Lots of farmers are growing it nowadays.

www.canna-uk.com/soya_bean_grow_it_yourself

[slightchill]

More videos than you would ever want to watch about growing soya here