Broad Beans

[harvester]

I'm new to broad beans and have been planting some in toilet rolls every couple of weeks since start of Feb. They've been in a light but fairly cool room.
The earliest ones are now pretty big at 10 inches - very healthy though.
My questions are:
1. Are these too big for this time of year? By the time I can plant them out they could be huge. Is there anything I can do to slow them down?
2. I plan to grow my broad beans in a double row up a support against a west facing wall. Does this sound ok as a position or should they be planted out in the open (ie not against a wall)?

Any views gratefully recieved...

[Capsid]

Just plant them out now, they are very hardy and will recover from heavy frosts despite wilting alarmingly. The only reason I germinate mine in pots in the greenhouse (rather than sowing directly outside) is to prevent them mice/squirrels digging them up. Once they have a few leaves on them, I plant them out in double rows. Otherwise they tend to get a bit leggy I find.

[Two_Sheds]

They really shouldn't be in your house: they are very hardy and can go outside.

The trouble with starting them too warm, is they put on loads of soft sappy growth which will be hit either by the cold or by blackfly.
You really want to grow them hard, toughen them up.

If it was me: I'd harden them off by putting them out daytimes (bring indoors at night) for a week, before leaving them outside permanently

[harvester]

Great - thanks both. Knew i could rely on some wisdom from members of this forum.

[Snadger]

I've got my Crimson Flowered that I started off in modules in gentle heat, hardening off in the cold frame as we speak!

[ann-the-nan]

Broad beans

As my OH is poorly, I have just finished a carrier bag full of paper pots. Hope to put seeds in for a few days long enough to re-dig the trenches of the failed ones. Then I can get the straight into the plot.