Staking broad beans

[piskieinboots]

I have opted for Sutton variety to over-winter, I understood that these do not need staking but just read that they should be.

Anyone tried these for over-wintering and if so, did you stake or not stake?

[TonyF]

Piskie, depends what you mean by staking. I've grown broad beans successfully through the last two winters and haven't staked them at all, shouldn't be necessary to support them until the spring.

Don't stake them individually, I put stakes on the corners of the raised beds and tie them in with string between the posts, round the edge of the bed and they sort of look after themselves from there on. But it has to be the very thick string because if you get a good crop, they can be heavy and they will need support.

[piskieinboots]

excellent thanks Tony

[Dobby]

Hi piskie
It says on the sutton ones that there is no need to stake them.
I dont know as this is the first time we have tryed the over winter ones so we couls comper notes I only planted mine out today

[simonytfc]

Piskie, I've grown the sutton last year and ended up putting stakes in because the plants can crop heavily, they become heavy and can topple over easily. It depends how many beans each plant has on it and whether you live in an exposed area

=]

[Paulottie]

Hi,
There is no need to stake them over winter, they should only be a few inches high. They can certainly get black legs from wind-rock on an exposed site. I have found that if you don't plant them too early (only after late Oct)they don't put on lots of lush top growth before the bad weather.

When they start to shoot in early spring I use a similar meathod to Tony as I grow them in blocks- this also helps as the support one another.

[rustylady]

If you grow them on the open plot they shouldn't need staking. If you grow them under cloches they can get a bit leggy and floppy. I never stake broad beans individually, but put canes/posts at intervals down the rows and run string between to support the whole lot. Sutton is quite dwarf and I've never had to use stakes for that variety.

[piskieinboots]

cheers guys