Broad beans

[St. George]

Hi,

New to this NG and also gardening.

The house we have moved to has an abandoned vegetable patch which I have double dug twice (previous owner told me there was buried treasure - and I believed him) and have dug in household compost and good quantity of rotten stable manure. Currently the plot has green manure, mustard etc., growing.

We would like to grow some early broad beans and are seeking advice as to what varieties and when to sow etc. Apart from a catch crop (next Spring ?) we would like to crop at regular intervals.

Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

LenBo, Weston-Souppppppper-Mare, Summmmmmmmerset.

[Alan Gould]

In article , St. George writes

Aquadulce Claudia have long been a popular overwintering Broad Bean which are now being offered in the improved form of Super Aquadulce. Imperial Green Longpod too are also suited to autumn sowing. There may be just enough time to sow these varieties now depending on your region, or they could be begun under cloches from mid-February. A good spring sown variety to follow on with could be Green Windsor or if you'd like to try a lower growing bush variety, The Sutton can give good results.

All can be ordered online from:

[Sue da Nimm]

We grow Aquadulce overwinter and Sutton. Both give good crops, but we always seem to get mich better yields from Sutton. (Possibly due to the fact we are in windy West Wales and Sutton is only half the height of Aquadulce)

[shazzbat]

As others have said, Aquadulce is a good autmn sown broad bean.

And as I have mentioned here before, The advice I was first given is that "bonfire night is beans night", ie you don't sow them before Nov 5th, or they're likely to put on too much growth too early, and be frost vulnerable.

Mind you, we're on the south coast, it may be different for your area.

Incidentally, since you're new to it, the area you're in, and the type of soil you have is always useful info to include when asking a question.

Enjoy yr broad beans.

Steve

[simy1]

I will take your offer. I am in Michigan, where minimum temps in the winter go to -20C (-2F). We have already had a killing frost (goodbye, tomatoes) but usually it will not frost again until november. I have a packet of Aquadulce and I am considering planting it under tunnels more or less now. I can plant it in

- compost beds, part sun, or in

- newly made beds, Sahara sandy soil that will be amended with 3 inches of manure and some clay, full sun.

Under the tunnels the temperature is typically 10C above outside. Can I expect them to grow if I plant them now, and be ready by June? I know that broad beans love clay and also love sun, so I wonder if they will do better in sand and sun or a richer soil and part sun. Some irrigation under the tunnels will be possible. Any advice whether it is possible will be welcome.

[shazzbat]

Well, I don't have any experience of temperatures so low. (and I intend to keep it that way). I don't know whether water would become available to the roots in these conditions, how deep does it freeze?

I would sow under the tunnel in somewhat richer soil, and hopefully some sun. If you have the space, sow some in 3 or 4 different conditions, and see which group does best. Then next year you'll know. Gardening is not a precise science, and there is always the unexpected. Mulching with straw or newspaper etc, may be valuable.

Let us know how you get on?

Steve

[simy1]

it does not freeze really. The soil may freeze for a day or two, down a couple of inches, but as soon as there is sun, the greenhouse effect melts the soil again. the temperature of the air may get down to -10C, perhaps -12C. All chicories, collard, kale planted in spring/summer, and lettuce planted in september, easily take those temperatures and start becoming available for eating in late march. Arugula and garlic shoots are available for omelettes as early as late february. Favas are in the same cold tolerance league, I am just wondering if they will take it, when planted in october, because they will be less established than the other plants.

I will try a few here and a few there and see how it goes. I will plant them this weekend.