is anyone sowing their broad beans yet?

[VirginVegGrower]

Next month for me but I sow again inside around January for spares as we have a mousey problem on the Lottie.

[queen of the cobs]

thanks All,

Snadger, I shall take your sensible approach!

first year for trying out overwintering broad beans, so fingers crossed.

[chris]

Start of Oct I'll be sowing mine too - they need to be small-ish, as they're apparently more hardy when smaller... I guess too much lush growth is more prone to frost damage.

[Two_Sheds]

I recall Two_Sheds posting that she planted hers in November

yep: I've learned not to sow them any earlier because our Sept/Oct weather is often too warm, they put on too much growth which then just gets battered in the winter weather

Not yet, they'll get too tall and could be damaged by the wind

exactly

I guess too much lush growth is more prone to frost damage.

yes, and tall plants will get knocked over by winter gales

I don't cloche mine any more (the year I did they got battered as soon as the cloche came off) ~ I just sow them late (Nov) so they're about 4" tall when they go to sleep for the winter. Then they take off in March and I have a crop in May. They are much tougher and so less prone to blackfly than spring sowings

[shona_b]

October for me same as last year - then any that don't survive or even germinate get interplanted in the spring which gives me a "longer" harvest. It also seems to mean most of my beans miss the blackfly the spring sowings suffer from. I've got Aquadulce (same as last year) but also got a free pack of suttons autumn sowing type so will have an extra couple of rows this year!