how many broad bean plants?

[hailtryfan]

Hi all

I've not grown these before and I'm unsure how well they crop. I'm going to try some succession planting to try to avoid a glut and so will plant some at the end of the month under cloches and some more in early spring.

The question is, how many seeds should I sow for each planting? Me and the missus would eat them as well as a few family and friends.

Thanks in advance?

[rustylady]

Where are you growing them? Open ground or containers? If you have the room I would sow plenty - you can always freeze them.

[Snadger]

How lomg is a piece of string?

Depending on how much you like them I would sow a packet in autumn and one in spring!

[Bren In Pots]

Not sure if its any help but according to ' The veg expert book' if you sow a 10ft double row using 2oz of seed you can expect 20lb of beans.

[Alison]

I usually grow about 40 ish plants, don't know how much that produces as I don't weigh but works for us. You can sow in successsion but I never bother as I freeze what I can't eat at the time.

[Pies]

How lomg is a piece of string?

Depending on how much you like them I would sow a packet in autumn and one in spring!

The packet,the smallest they sell,i got from moleseeds contains approx 700 seeds

[Snadger]

The packet,the smallest they sell,i got from moleseeds contains approx 700 seeds

That's not a packet..............it's a sack!

[Bren In Pots]

At my local corn merchant you buy beans, peas, onions and potatoes by weight or buy how many for things like onions and potatoes like when i wanted just 10 potatoes to grow in flower buckets.

[hailtryfan]

Where are you growing them? Open ground or containers? If you have the room I would sow plenty - you can always freeze them.

Going to start them off in pots on the balcony and plant them out under cloches once looking strong.

For some reason I thought broad beans wouldn't like the freezer. Is the common consensus that there fine to freeze?

Not sure if its any help but according to ' The veg expert book' if you sow a 10ft double row using 2oz of seed you can expect 20lb of beans.

20lb!! I don't think I'll have room for that in my freezer. Maybe I'll go for a 5ft double row.

[Pompeylottie]

I will only sow broad beans in the Autumn so I can pick them before the Blackfly get them, the blackfly then spread to the runner beans and it is a big problem. If I pick the broad beans (and freeze them) before the runners flower (in June I think this year)then we dont get blackfly.

[hailtryfan]

I will only sow broad beans in the Autumn so I can pick them before the Blackfly get them, the blackfly then spread to the runner beans and it is a big problem. If I pick the broad beans (and freeze them) before the runners flower (in June I think this year)then we dont get blackfly.

That's worth knowing. Thank you

[gojiberry]

I've got 50 in at the moment but am growing them more for a green manure than for the beans. Will put another 50 in around Xmas time and another 50 come spring which will be more for the bean harvest.

Ian

[rustylady]

Going to start them off in pots on the balcony and plant them out under cloches once looking strong.

For some reason I thought broad beans wouldn't like the freezer. Is the common consensus that there fine to freeze?



20lb!! I don't think I'll have room for that in my freezer. Maybe I'll go for a 5ft double row.

Broad beans are fine in the freezer. And as for the 20 lb, that is provided everything goes well. Anyway, surely you will be eating most of them fresh and only freezing the surplus.

[buzzingtalk]

How well do they grow in containers outdoors?

I'm about to chop down my tomato plants and have loads of big pots going empty, wouldnt mind planting something else in them