Harborne Hill Allotments Growing Advice and Tips

                            Broad Beans                  

Monthly Guide

January

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Soil Preparation

Beans normally follow potatoes in the rotation.

These days I don't dig the soil again, I just fork in some horse manure compost and add some seaweed meal.

When to Sow

You can sow broad beans from October onwards. I prefer to start the plants in the greenhouse in September and plant out in November.

By sowing in autumn you can have beans as early as May, but results are a bit variable, fleece is worth keeping on standby just in case the temperature drops.

Sowing

Sow one bean directly 5cm (2in) deep and 23cm (9in) apart in rows approx. 30cm (12in) apart.

Maintenance and Feeding

Tall varieties require some support.

Give an occasional feed of Blood, Fish and Bone.

When to harvest   
                         

For autumn-sown seeds: May – July

For spring-planted young plants: June - August

For spring-sown seeds: June – September

Varieties

Auadulce Claudia (Autumn sowings)

The Sutton ( Autumn or Spring)

Meteor Vroma (Spring sowings)

Bunyards Exhibition (Spring sowings)

Masterpiece Green Longpod (Spring sowings)