re-cropping broad beans

I have a good crop of overwintered broad bean aquadulce claudia that will shortly be finished. I remember reading somewhere or other that if you cut the old plants right down and feed the roots, you will get a second crop from the regrowth. I have yet to try it myself.

Has anyone tried this? Is it worth the effort and the space, or not really?

Every year I mull it over, then decide to hoik the plants out and use the ground for something else instead.

 

I think the whole point of doing the Aquadulce Autumn sowing is to get a crop early enough to avoid the black fly ... so I personally would not encourage a latter second-crop

 

You're probably right Kristen. I just wondered if there were any enthusiastic cheerleaders for this technique out there. Maybe I'll just try it with half a dozen plants as an experiment. I'll let you know.

 

Certainly be interested to hear how you get on

 

Tried it with a summer crop and it worked, though the crop wasn't all that great. However as 'something for nothing' it was worth it!