Broadbeans

[Oxon]

Morning I'm new to allotment. I sowed 4 rows of broadbeans in April and not one came up. Any advice of what I did wrong or what oli should do next time.

[nickdub]

broad beans usually germinate almost 100%, so most likely yours got eaten by something - mice or birds may be.

If you are growing stuff in grow bags or have some leaf-mold or similar keep that growing medium bagged up after the plants die down this Autumn, then reuse it in pots or other containers to sow beans this autumn/winter under cover. Some varieties are hardier than others. Then plant them out when the weather is reasonable ie not too wet/frosty. I use plastic window box style tubs as they are deeper than trays and so the plants can develop a good root system. Best not to sow all the beans at once, keep some back for a month or two, and then you'll get the younger plants cropping when the old ones finish.

[Bren In Pots]

Oxon I sow my Broad beans in loo rolls around March time then plant the whole thing out once they've hardened off, doing it this way seems to work well for me.

Edited to say hello and welcome to the vine

[Mr Bones]

Hi Oxon and welcome to the Vine from a fellow allotmenteer. We too have to start most crops in modules or they're eaten by slugs.

[Jay-ell]

I sowed Aquadulce and Sutton Dwarf in Autum - I got 1 Sutton Dwarf plant. I sowed more Sutton Dwarf in early spring and got nothing. I sowed Bunyards Exhibition a little later and they came up.

Sowing at a time when there's not much food about means that broad beans can be tempting to mice as well. Sowing in loo rolls may well help this. I will, of course, try again to grow over winter for a slightly earlier crop

I've just sown some Luz de Otono as they are supposed to be able to grow now and give an autumn crop (with a bit of protection)