BROAD BEANS, OVERWINTERING TYPE

Need to know the best time to plant?

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Compo
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I have devised an elaborate mesh cage to keep mice away from the bigger seeds and it worked in spring so i want to try Autumn broad beans again. I had Sutton last year but I think they are a dwarf variety and they did not do so well. So if I remember rightly Aquadulce or Bunyard's Exhibition are better. Ideas on a postcard please!!. Oh and when to sow, i will use a cold greenhouse and modules.
If I am not on the plot, I am not happy.........
Monika
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Aquadulce yes, Bunyard's Exhibition no, Compo. I think the latter would not stand through the winter. Overall, I have never found overwintering broad beans of any use - spring sown ones, especially when sown early in modules (as you propose to do) and then planted out, catch up in no time and there are rarely any losses, whereas for autumn sown ones, it depends very much on what sort of winter we get.
Perhaps in Somerset it's very different ........
sally wright
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Just had a quick beetle round the list of BB's in the Moles catalogue and the variety Monica seems to tick all of the boxes. It is suited to all periods of sowing with what they describe as a heavy yield. Other seed houses seem to be extolling it's virtues as well.

Regards Sally Wright.
ps De Monica is the same variety I think.
Stephen
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Aquadulce for me.
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Monika
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I started growing de Monica when it first appeared in the seed catalogues about 5 years ago, really just because of the name (I know, very odd ...), but it has given us brilliant results year after year. I only ever sow it in spring in root trainers and then plant them out, but I have seen it mentioned as an overwintering variety.
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Cider Boys
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Well Compo I can tell you that Aquadulce are the beans to grow in Somerset, available from Mole Valley Farmers at £2.10 for 0.5 kg. I used to grow them commercially and sell to Cossey in Bridgwater and they made good money if they were ready for harvesting early enough. The old time Somerset growers used to say that you planted them as soon as Bridgwater Fair was over, so about now if the weather was suitable, for an early crop to get the best prices

I have my seeds ready for sowing and will sow a row as soon as the ground dries a little (if all this damn rain would stop) and then sow rows again up until mid November.

Mice can be a problem and also crows, the old boys back in the 1950s used to sow them in fairly deep drills then roll them over with a heavy roller to deter the crows.
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