Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi all,
I have cleared some space on my plot and have purchased some Broadbean seeds. The back of the packet says sow in late Oct/Nov. Bit of a silly question, but why is that? would it be to ensure the plants do not get to big before winter? I was hoping I could put them in now and they would be even earlier to harvest next year. I live in Essex which has had hardly any snow ore frosts for some years now.
Thanks for looking and good luck to you all for next years crops!!

They only want to be 2-3 inches high to go through the winter,believe me you will get frosts! They will also be very prone to breaking off in the wind if they get any higher than that over winter.It wont make a lot of difference to cropping time either.

Hello Dopolous and Carole

An interesting question, for what it's worth we grow broad beans each year for pocket money and are frantically lifting our Desiree potatoes to sow our broad beans as near to the end of September as possible. The only reason we do this is local tradition that dictates you should sow the broad beans the week after our local sheep and pony fair.

This is in order to get an early spring crop when the prices are highest and unless you get an early crop they are not worth much.

Last year we sowed in the first and second week of October and sowed again in November and February. We had a number of regular frosts in the winter along with winds that knocked the crop back a little. Although the later sown crops looked like they had caught up with the September ones they did not start producing until several weeks later when the prices had dropped. This may not be of concern to an allotment/garden grower but my advice (and with potatoes as well) is get them in early especially if you have room for a later sowing to hedge your bets against early frosts.

Barney

Thanks all, I think I will give it a go, if nothing happens or they all die at least it will be valuable info for the readers of this site!!

It looks an interesting suggestion. I sow The Sutton in early spring and plant out in polytunnels and there is always the worry that there will be no insects around to pollinate them. It always seems to be the case but we always get a worthwhile crop later on.
Allan

Broad beans should be planted October or early November and then only specific varieties eg Aquadulce which is an over wintering variety. It dosn't hurt if they dont surface too soon but it is important not to get them too far advanced before the frosts.
For 2007 I am avoiding Autumn sowing as for the past few years on my allotment I get an invasion of Pea and Bean Weevil which tuck into the leaves and delay the crop. I will raise plants in the greenhouse in February and plant them out as soon as they reach a decent size. That way I hope to avoid the weevil. Anybody got any cures for the weevil?
Waltham Gardener

I have moved to NE Scotland, from Sussex, this year and I'm all to pot with what I can and can't plant or when.

Does anyone know if I can get away with planting beans up here? I can garentee frost and snow.

MK

We sow our broad beans (aquadulce) here in October. One reason to autumn sow is that the beans can be harvested (end April/beginning May) before the black bean aphids get a chance to ruin the crop. We have tried spring sowing and the little blighters devastate our crops. I usually add a windbreak of branches (from autumn prunings) down either side of the length of the row 1-2 ft high fairly heavy conifer branches worked best. This helps to create a warm air pocket when it snows and stops the wind from slicing the tops off the little plants in deep winter.