What broad beans do you grow?

[smallblueplanet]

I've just checked and we're short of broad beans, we've only some super aquadulce left. We grew those and Bunyards last year, but didn't really rate the SA...

...what's your fave for planting this year?

[crazy_red]

Ive got Bunyard's Exhibition and, I thought I'd bought Aquadulce.

Looking just now at the packet, they're Wilko's seeds, I think they might need a new spell checker cos it says 'Aguadulce' - unless this is a different variety?

But then I'm a broad bean virgin, so I'm going for the easiest ones first time round

Liberty, Stereo and Red-Flowered broad beans are all said to have really good flavour.

Red x

[Hans Mum]

ive got some bunyards if you want some PM me, but i wont be able to post them till monday next week

[Snadger]

Crimson flowered are the ones for me! Small, (don't need staking!) pretty, productive over a long period and tasty............what more can I want?

I also have home saved Aqaudulce and Crimson seeded (originally from Red Epicure many moons ago!) which I usually sow in the autumn but forgot about this year.

I'll be trying an early spring sowing of each soon!

[smallblueplanet]

Thanks for the offers of broadies, but I've found a variety I fancy trying called 'Hangdown Green' @ Tamar Organics, has anyone tried them?

[Flummery]

I'm growing crimson flowered too and I echo what Snadger says about them. I've saved the seeds from Red epicure too. I'll grow Epicure in the back and crimson in the front gardens. No good growing to save seed at the allotment - everyone grows so many different ones and with only half a plot I can't isolate them enough.

[Mcbee]

THe Sutton for me. I've got a small patch and they've always done well.

[Flummery]

I grew the Sutton last year and they had the worst black-fly infestation I have ever had. The other two types were fine.

[sewer rat]

I sow Witkiem Manita in the spring and it crops exceptionally well - in fact it double cropped this year as I didn't make time to clear the (what I thought were dead) stems after picking the last of the crop, and about Sptember, the starting producing new shoots flowers and beans from the base of the plants - not a very heavy second crop but welcome just the same.

[smallblueplanet]

I sow Witkiem Manita in the spring and it crops exceptionally well...

That's another type that gets good reviews, what does it taste like SR? Anyone else grow it?

[sewer rat]

That's another type that gets good reviews, what does it taste like SR? Anyone else grow it?

Tastes lovely, especially when picked young. I have one customer who hails originally from Sweden who pestered me to let her and her mother loose on the broadies as they enjoyed them so much last season, and another (who was my very first box customer) who tells everyone he can that he hated broadies til he tried mine !
Can't think of a better recommendation really !

[HeyWayne]

First year growing broad beans this year for me, I tried Aquadulce (common garden ones, not Super) and Martock, a Heritage variety. Wasn't that impressed with the Aquadulce ones, but the Martock ones seemed good enough. Might be able to spare a few seeds if you want Manda - pm me if required.

[smallblueplanet]

Thanks for the offer HW, but I'm wavering between Hangdown Green & Witkiem Manita atm, the choice will probably sway to whoever I get them from having some other seeds I'd like to buy, but don't necessarily need!

[lizdocs]

I have tried several varities but always grow some sutton, they are a dwarf variety so don't need staking and i have always had great production. I do usually sow them in Oct to overwinter but have tried spring sowings and also done well.

We get so many from the Sutton that we freeze them (without blanching) and they last us through the year.

[Sunset]

I was new to broad beans last year too. I grew Aguadulce Supersimonia from "Seeds of Italy" - maybe Wilkos buy italian seed crazy red!!

Also grew some trial seeds from "Which". These were dwarf and we were supposed to eat them as "mangetout type" things as well as letting some grow full size. Can't find anything on the packet to indicate what variety they were but I'm sure they actually said in the magazine at the time. They were dwarf and white flowered. Cropped well and, surprisingly, were good eaten as whole pods as well as conventional beans. However they did get blackfly which the Aguadulce (grown in adjacent rows) were completely free of.

This year am going to try Express too.

Sowed my beans under cover in early March and planted out late April but despite good plants and flowers the early flowers didn't set. Obviously need to experiment more!