broad beans

[pongeroon]

Help! Being my usual disorganised self, I haven't planted my beans yet.
I usually do it in the spring, but intended to try autumn sowing this time. Is it too late to plant them into deep trays in the greenhouse? It being so frosty an' all??

[mazmezroz]

I hope not, cos I planted mine a week ago ....

[oldherbaceous]

I too only planted my second lot of broad beans early this week, and they were sown directly outside.
Some people sow them much to early and they only get caught by the frost where they have put too much soft growth on.

Just make sure they are a variety for Autumn sowing like Aquadulce.

[pongeroon]

Thanks both of you. I'd better go and see if I've actually got any seeds then...

[Compo]

If you have a glasshouse, cold frame or similar, you can grow some in peat pots or toilet roll tubes as 'spares' I usually grow a couple of dozen as spares for the ones that the mice often get.

Compo

PS they seem to have no problem acclimatising when you put them out, but wet mild weather is ok, rather than a frosty period.

[Colin_M]

Some people sow them much to early and they only get caught by the frost where they have put too much soft growth on.

This isn't directly related to Broad Beans, but I had fun with some Field Beans I planted as green manure last Autumn.

They did so well that they were a couple of feet high by November. Worried that they might get bashed about by the winter gales, I gave the biggest ones a light trim (just the top couple of inches). Reading Herbies posting I now realise I probably stimulated them to produce more new growth by doing this, as the trimmed ones were later badly affected by frost. The ones I'd left alone were fine!


Colin

[pongeroon]

Well the seeds that I bought are winter hardy, but the ground is now too wet to get on.

The seed packet says I can grow them indoors from January to plant out in March, but I'm sure my next door neighbour plants his in trays in the glasshouse about now (if not sooner).

I'm confused now

[Monika]

Pongeroon, you can do both. You can either sow them in the ground in autumn or sow them early in the year with some protection and then plant them out when the weather improves. The autumn sown ones are supposed to get a good root system going before the worst weather sets in (both heavy frost and lots of rain), but we have tried it and find that we always lost some (if not all!) of them if it's a bad winter. So, if I were you, I wouldn't worry at all. I would sow them in early spring, either outside with some protection or, if you have a greenhouse or polytunnel, in pots or rootrainers and then plant them out. They'll soon catch up and maybe even overtake your neighbour's!

[pongeroon]

Thanks Monika, I think I'll go for the greenhouse in the new year option.

[Compo]

I am going to advise differently, as they are so cheap in bulk (1.29) for a kg here at our Farmer's Merchants, then the autumn ones are worth a bash, I have always had a good crop, just sew generously and then you can insert some spares as mentioned above or even in early spring you can put fresh seed in the gaps. This year the warm spring meant an especially early healthy crop. But hey why not plant both and see which is the best method for your plot / area?

Compo

[Colin_M]

To follow up Compo's advice, I grew Broad Beans (Aquadulce) for the first time last year.

They were planted in Autumn 2006 (started in root trainers then planted out) and they did ok. My crop were certainly earlier than everyone elses. In addition, they'd almost finished cropping by the time the blackfly arrived, whereas my neighbours' still had developing bean pods on them. You should check this aspect with the real experts, since I'm sure different weather conditions each year can affect this.

The only thing I'd do differently is give them a bit of support next time as mine got a bit top-heavy & some drooped on the ground. Possibly having to endure the winter gales.


All the best, whatever you choose,

Colin

[Granny]

I've sown overwintered broad beans and peas in rootrainers (but they haven't come up yet). I do some now, and when they come into flower next spring I sow another lot. I do Aquadulce now and Sutton Dwarf in Spring. Some of the Sutton fill in gaps of those lost over winter and the rest make another row.

I think it's worth doing both as not much else is happening now and the autumn sown ones are quite a lot earlier than spring. And I've noticed the same as Colin with the blackfly. Even if they're still cropping, the leaves have hardened off and they don't suffer nearly as badly.

I support them with canes - 2 to a cane.

I'm very disorganised and have sown them quite late in the past, planting out in December. They don't seem to come to any harm.
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Granny

[Colin_M]

I support them with canes - 2 to a cane.

I'm very disorganised and have sown them quite late in the past

Cheers Granny, that's useful. Do you tie your plants to the canes? I don't remember any tendrills on mine (unlike peas, runner beans etc).

Right now, I have some packets of Broad Beans, Feltham Peas and Field Beans, lined up for sowing in the next week. As you say, we don't have much to lose. I sometimes cheat and soak them first to accelerate the sprouting, though I'm wary of starting them indoors with any sort of warmth that they won't then continue to have outside.


Colin

[Weed]

Now that is interesting...I have three rows of Aquadulche planted and they are about four inches in height....I do love broad beans and will be putting some more in this weekend following your comments.

I will have to sort some canes out for supports

[Granny]

Colin, yes I do tie them on - no tendrils. Nothing fancy, just tied loosely to stop them falling over completely. And then repeat the process as the get bigger.
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Granny