tell me about broad beans

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chadspad
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Re: tell me about broad beans

Post: # 127733Post chadspad »

I grew loads in Feb, started them off in pots due to mice eating the beans in the ground!, then March and April. The ones in Feb were amazing - really healthy, sturdy plants with massive crops of beans - the following ones werent as good or as abundant although still nice tasting. My uncle grew some in Nov of last year and they all died from the frost so not sure about planting them now and losing them all?
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Millymollymandy
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Re: tell me about broad beans

Post: # 127848Post Millymollymandy »

Chadspad - did you plant the Feb ones indoors or outside? I'm going to grow them for the 1st time but I can't be bothered to do autumn planting - mostly because I've still got loads of stuff in the ground plus the winter veg and it all needs compost dug in etc. Maybe I could start them off in a cold frame outside in Feb or March?
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Re: tell me about broad beans

Post: # 127862Post ina »

chadspad wrote:My uncle grew some in Nov of last year and they all died from the frost so not sure about planting them now and losing them all?
How cold does it get where he is? Or maybe it wasn't the right variety?
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Re: tell me about broad beans

Post: # 128044Post Peggy Sue »

I sewed Aquiadulce Claudia in the autumn which backed nicely onto the end of the purple sprouting. Really good strong plants, seemed to not get attacked by blackfly much.

Also did Suttons in the spring but they were much smaller, weaker, loads of blackfly problems, and we were enjoying the autumn ones weeks before so important in spring- will to Aquadulce autumn and spring this year I think.

Supposed to be the easiest thing to grow, I was inspired by that comment on the main website last year!
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Millymollymandy
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Re: tell me about broad beans

Post: # 128067Post Millymollymandy »

Those are the ones that I have bought but given that we can have down to -8 here I still think I'll wait until the spring. I've got tons of winter veg and loads of beans in the freezer so I don't really need anything producing too early!
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Re: tell me about broad beans

Post: # 128074Post Peggy Sue »

EEk we hardly get a frost here so can't comment on those temperatures!
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Re: tell me about broad beans

Post: # 128078Post jim »

I always sow aquadulse in late Autumn and don't get many problems. But then we're a microclimate sheltered by the Downs to the north and Solent and IoW to the south.

If you dislike the skin of the mature beans try blanching full grown beans for 30 secs. or so, then pop the beans out. You can also eat the immature pods before the beans and the blankety interior develop. Bit like eating the topmost leaf tips.

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Re: tell me about broad beans

Post: # 128148Post Birdie Wife »

Millymollymandy wrote:Those are the ones that I have bought but given that we can have down to -8 here I still think I'll wait until the spring. I've got tons of winter veg and loads of beans in the freezer so I don't really need anything producing too early!
I overwintered broad beans at temps lower than that, I just covered them with a single layer of enviromesh and they stood through the worst of the winter up here (often below -10). They are also good at binding the soil and stopping nutrients leaching, plus fixing nitrogen. Though you could get the same effect with a good mulch of grass clippings :wink:

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Re: tell me about broad beans

Post: # 128169Post godfreyrob »

BB's are one of my favourites.
Just a word of caution about autumn sowing though. They are tough but waterlogged soil will rot them. So if you are going for autumn sowings make sure the soil is well-drained.

Last year I lost all my autumn sown crop (even though they were planted in raised beds) :(
As the seeds are not cheap I am going for the spring sowings (in the greenhouse) and planting out when they are 2/3 inches high. Much more certain and no mice problems.

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chadspad
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Re: tell me about broad beans

Post: # 133579Post chadspad »

Sorry M3 have just seen your question about planting them outside. I have always started them off in pots first purely because of the mice having eaten them all from the ground the first year! I now put them on my garden table which is outside but undercover and slightly sheltered so a coldframe would be perfect but make sure its rodent proof or theyll eat them all. The plants only take few weeks and theyre up and raring to go. Very easy to grow and the best I grew were planted in Feb. These were much healthier than any of the subsequent plantings.
My parents B&B in the beautiful French Vendee http://bed-breakfast-vendee.mysite.orange.co.uk/

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