I planted Fava beans and peas on March 17th in South East Pennsylvania, and I've never used inoculant before. I'm planning to use it on my dragon tongue and bush beans, but I'm wondering if it's too late to add it to the Favas and peas. I was thinking about sprinkling it around the base of the plants. What do you all think?
4 Answers
I've just let my beans grow without any inoculants and never had a problem. Can someone share the science behind their use? Does treating them actually boost yield significantly?
I bought a granular inoculant for situations just like this! You can shake it onto the soil and water it in. If you decide not to use it, just make sure to fertilize as you normally would with other plants.
It's pretty interesting that you want to add it after germination. Inoculants are mainly for legumes and typically intended to be used at planting. They help beans fix nitrogen from the air, which they can't do alone.
Honestly, I'd skip adding it now and just follow the directions for your next round of planting. You usually rub the inoculant on the seeds before planting, which is the best time to do it.
Sure! Here's a link that explains it well: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/beans/soil-inoculants.htm. It mentions that peas, beans, and other legumes help fix nitrogen in the soil, which benefits their growth and also assists subsequent plants in that area! It's more effective with the right inoculant.