Side Shoots on Broad Beans

[Digeroo]

The Broad beans on my allotment are producing a lot of side shoots.  They come from the same packet as those in my garden which only have one stem.

Should I leave the side shoots or be brutal and pick them off?

[Digeroo]

[saddad]

This same idea was up recently... I leave mine... but the jury was split on it...  :-\

[Digeroo]

Have now read the older posts, I wonder whether those with bushier plants are on more exposed sites.  My allotment is a bit on the windy side but my garden is very sheltered.  Perhaps the plants can sense that growing over a metre tall would be a bit of a problem and have bushed out instead. 

I will leave nature to know best I think.

[Robert_Brenchley]

My plot is sheltered, with hedges and trees all over the site. They still branch.

[Pescador]

I've always left them on and had plenty of good pods from them; same as the main stem.

[Larkshall]

This is a natural reaction to the "lead" shoot being knocked off or eaten off. In cereals it's called "tillering" and usually gives a heavier crop (trying to make up for the damage and expected future damage). Conifers have six side shoots below the lead shoot. If the lead shoot gets destroyed (usually by frost) the strongest of these side shoots will take over, turn upwards and grow in line with the trunk, thus replacing the original lead shoot.

[Digeroo]

The main shoots do not appear to be damaged, the plants are very bonny.