have I missed the boat on broad beans?

[Alison]

Won't sow mine for a couple of weeks yet, that'll be in root trainers and then out early Nov (probably)

[vegnut]

Mine are in now. I think i may put some protective netting over them, just in case.

[StephenH]

I'm trying autumn-sown broad beans for the first time this year - 'Aquadulce Claudia'. The packet, and some of my books, give November as the time to sow them, so it certainly can't be too late yet. However, other books say October, so I'm going to prepare the bed by Liming and other things this weekend, and sow them the following weekend. According to the books - I haven't got much experience to draw on yet - I should be able to squeeze a crop of peas after the broad beans, since the latest date for sowing the peas is May, which is also the earliest date for harvesting the beans. That, at any rate, is what I'm going to try - sowing 'Maro' Marrowfat peas for drying after the beans, next May.

[vikkib]

Nor mine; apart from one pot which is going into the greenhouse.

Ooooh... pots you say?!

Can I ask how many beans to what size pots?!

I'd love to get some sown for overwintering but haven't got the greenhouse up yet so they could go in the placcy and then I could pop the pots out when it warms up a little.

I think I'll start mine in loo rolls whatever happens as my garden is rife with slugs and they do love the plastic greenhouse sooooooooo much!

[Rhona]

If we get the lottie organised then it'll be late Oct for us, outside, with some protection. Don't think you've missed the Broad Bean Boat at all!

[janeyo]

ok so I now have 12 in loo rolls going into the greenhouse.(unheated)
Will sow 12 more in the garden when I can get round to it. But it will be this month.

So do l leave them in the greenhouse til spring or plant them out next month?
Or do I need a third experiment? ie put some in loo rolls and leave til spring to plant?

so confusing lol

[lainey lou]

I started off some aquadulce a few days ago. Have noticed in GYO mag that masterpiece longpod are OK for autumn sowing too, have some so think I'll give them a go too.
I just love broad beans and this year they were devastated with blackfly, so I'm hoping this autumn sowing lark will help!

[jacob]

I'm sowing mine at the weekend -- I'm experimenting with half in the ground and half in the pots in the greenhouse. But my spring crop was rubbish this year.

Am I the only person in the world who seems to get their best broad bean crop in the early autumn? Two years in a row I've had a poor spring crop and a good autumn crop sown in the shadier spots of my beds.