Winter Broad beans...and wilting PSB

[cptncrackoff]

Hey ho ho ho peeps!

I sowed some saved Sutton broad beans a week and a half ago in some guttering in the greenhouse, I know its technically far too late but I always find that doing things that everyone else says you cant is far more satisfying when you succeed!
I managed to open the greenhouse door this morning (it was frozen shut! lol) - they're sprouting!!
Now, if they survive the cold, are they likely to grow slowly, and stay really short, or may they be tempted to grow as hard as they can, and flower!?
Ideally I'll pop them out very early in a very mild march and harvest the first bean before may 1st, thats the plan!
Also whilst I was out there today I noticed that my PSB are a bit wilty, they looked sad, like they hadnt seen water for a few days, the ground was moist, we'd had a frost, i'm wondering if the cold made them look a bit 'ropey'!?

[Fruit&2veg]

Hi
My guess would be that kept in the greenhouse if we get a mild spell, they will become very soft and "leggy", not what you really want this early, I would get them outside whenever possible in a sheltered spot and grow them as hard as possible, and only consider moving them inside if the weather turns really severe never was a fan of pampering broadies. I will be sowing another row of Aquadulce in a couple of weeks unprotected outside, confident they will be OK.
As for the PSB It probably was the frost in which case they will soon perk up again.

[Two_Sheds]

Like already said ^, if it's mild/warm the beans will grow fast, if it's cold they will be slow. There's very little light this time of year which is a major problem for plants: it's more important than temperature to a lot of them.

These are my broadies in my cold gh from last winter.
They grew tall but were soft and floppy (not enough light) and this soft growth was killed by a late frost. The flowers never did produce beans, the plants just weren't strong enough

By contrast, these were planted at the same time, outside: broad beans | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Flowering by 3 May, and I think I had beans by the end of May

[cptncrackoff]

Thanks for the replies, it looks like I should get them out as soon as possible, the only trouble is I dont have any bed space, I can put them outside still in the guttering, how would that work? would they be more at risk from the cold!?

[Alison]

I grew some broad beans in the poytunnel last spring and they worked well - planted them as small seedlings end of Jan I think, they were a bit leggy but produced some beans about 2 weeks before the outdoor ones.

Re the PSB - how big are they, mine are pretty big now after being planted out last June (ish) and are quite happy with the cold weather. I do have some much smaller brassicas planted in the tunnel border which seem fine but if yours are in pots they might be more suceptible to the cold.

[cptncrackoff]

nope, mine are about 18 inches tall, in raised beds, well established and they did seem fine, it might just be the frrost making them look a bit sad, I'll have another look tomorrow!

[Two_Sheds]

it looks like I should get them out as soon as possible...would they be more at risk from the cold!?

They will now, yes.

They should really have been sown in November into still-warm autumn soil, to get their roots established before the cold set in.
Your plants are now going to struggle because they're too soft to survive outside. We've all done it !
I would just leave them be for now, see how they do, come back and tell us if they produce beans in May.
Oh, and sow some outside in Feb/March too

[cptncrackoff]

LOL, they're stuck in the greenhouse now then, it is a full sun position, we'll see!
Thanks
jon

[Fruit&2veg]

Must admit, my feeling would still be to put them outside as much as possible, whenever theres no danger of frost,or severe wind, even if you take them in at night.

[cptncrackoff]

sort of harden them off a bit, toughen them up and slow them down, that could be good, tbh they havnt even broken through yet, I could always cool down the greenhouse a bit, window/door open. I am determined to produce beans from these plants earlier than anyone in the history of broad beans!! lol

[Fruit&2veg]

Yes thats the idea, best of luck and let us know how you get on

[Florence Fennel]

Sounds interesting Cpt, I wish you luck. I'm always amazed at how these plants survive in such severe weather conditions over winter, they're tough, so may not appreciate the shelter of a greenhouse. Treat 'em mean to keep 'em keen. Let us know how you get on.

[Two_Sheds]

mine are about 18 inches tall

they havnt even broken through yet

Right, I've just read back through your thread Steve, and it's not the beans that are 18" tall, is it? I'd thought they were.
It's your PSB.

So, if your broadies haven't even germinated yet, then yes by all means, get them outside and grow them hard