What is wrong with my Broad Beans?!?!

[Lady of Shallots]

HELP!

I am growing broad beans for the first time this year, with very little success!

They started off healthy when I grew them in pots, then transferred them to the garden. I think this was in late May.

Almost immediately they started to look sickly. As I've never grown them before I don't really know what they should be looking like, but I'm sure it's not this! Despite the lovely weather they are not thriving.

The leaves are turning black, and crispy around the edges. They seem to be covered in some sort of blackish film. I have checked for blackfly and found them on one plant, but the other four plants seem to have something different going on. They are flowering, but the flowers have all gone black and crispy. A few pods are appearing but I don't know if they'll be any good or not? Small new leaves are turning black. There are quite a few spiders living on them, but I assume that this is a good thing to keep away pests. I can't see signs of any creatures that look dodgy, apart from the odd aphid, but nowhere near enough to cause this much of a problem!

Please help as I don't know whether to just dig them up and burn them and start again next year or not! I was soo looking forward to eating them too!

[Lesley Jay]

Hi, I wonder if it might be chocolate spot? I can see some spots and brown / black marks on the leaves and the plants do turn black. Are there any brown marks on the stems? How did it start and what did the leaves look like??

[Ian240356]

Chocolate spot really does look like chocolate spots on the leaves - Round brown spots about 1/4" dia. I have had it. I don't think this is it.

Its all about money here.

If you have some anti-fungal treatment lying about, use it. But it is not worth laying out £5 for said treatment if you only have a few plants. It could be worth it to you if you have 2-3 dozen.

It's up to you.