Broad Beans

Broad beans grow best on rich, well fertilised soil, which holds moisture well.

They are very hardy so can be sown in late February for early crops and sown in successional crops until August. They can also be sown October or November to overwinter and produce an early crop the following year.

Sow the seeds in a trench 9" - 12" wide and 2" deep. Place the seeds at either side of the trench about 9" apart. If sowing more than 1 row, space the rows 2 to 2 ½ feet apart.

As the plants can grow up to 3' high, depending on the variety, they will need to be supported. The easiest way of doing this is to place canes every two or three feet' along either side of the row and tie string between them to support the plants.

As the plants grow, pinch out the sideshoots from the base of the stems while they are still small and keep just the central stem. When the plant has formed 4 or 5 flowers, pinch out the top of the stems. There are two reasons for doing this. The first is that it encourages the plant to form pods and secondly, it discourages Blackfly, which like to feed on the tender young tops.

As Broad Beans are Legumes, which take in Nitrogen from the atmosphere, they do not require any additional feeding during the growing season.

Keep the plants free of weeds and well watered in dry spells.

The Beans can be harvested as soon as the beans in the pods can be felt to be of a reasonable size. Pick the pods by carefully tearing downwards.

After all the pods have been harvested cut the plants off at soil level, leaving the roots in the ground. These will 'fix' the nitrogen in the soil ready for the next crop. You can put the discarded tops on the compost heap.

Alternatively, you may find that the plant sends up new shoots. These can be left to grow and produce a further crop. It will not be as heavy as the first crop, but if space is at a premium it can prove to be a useful crop.

Unfortunately, Broad Beans are susceptible to a number of pests and diseases. These include Blackfly, Bean beetle (Bruchid beetle), Pea and Bean Weevil, Chocolate Spot and Mice. For treatment of these see relevant Pests and Diseases sections.