Broad beans now?

[smallblueplanet]

Is it too early to start spring sown broad beans in rootrainers? How long would it be until they would have to be planted out if so?

Ta.

[LolaLou]

I planted mine at the weekend in root trainers, outdoors in an unheated greenhouse with the door open (its as near to 'outdoors' as they'll get for a while!). Packet said sow up til Feb (they are the Aqua Dulce Claudia) so I did..... I also put a few others in of Sciabalo Verde which I've never grown before - unfortunately there are only ten of those as I left these particular seeds in the shed and naturally a little mouse has been feasting on them all christmas! I guessed that they'd germinate (hopefully), grow on a bit and then I'll plonk them over the allotment when they are strong enough to take a bit of a beating from the wind/rain/possible April snow....!

[brad1001]

i did another 20 aqua dulce on saturday.i planted them in to toilet roll tubes and left them in the green house.
i did about 30 of the same veriaty in early november straight in to the ground and i only lost about 4 due to being sat under a foot of snow for 2 weeks!.

[binley100]

I shall be sowing mine very soon in loo rolls , probably leave them in the conservatory till they've germinated and then move them into the gh.

[jackie j]

I sowed some in November in the ground then it snowed, no sign of them, so I shall sow some more in seed cells and put them in the unheated greenhouse.

[solway cropper]

Every year I say I won't grow overwintered broad beans and every year I pop some in. Put in a dozen in late October which all germinated and then the big freeze came. Three have survived

My best results with broadies come from sowing a dwarf variety like Sutton in big tubs in the cold greenhouse in february and then putting them out when the worst of the bad weather has passed.

[smallblueplanet]

Wow are those broadies in flower now solway?

So I've found the 'beans & peas' tub of seed packets and will sort some out to sow in rootrainers at the weekend. Might put some peas in too, but need to check what it says for pea Cascadia.

OMG, have just peeked, we seem to have five varieties of broad bean...oops!

[Jono]

I lost all mine in the snow this year. They went black and flopped right over.

Might try some Aqua Dulce indoors to see if I can still get an early crop. I read somewhere that you can cover the pot in a clear plastic bag to create a mini greenhouse environment?

[StephenH]

I sowed some in November in the ground then it snowed, no sign of them, so I shall sow some more in seed cells and put them in the unheated greenhouse.

Me too, with the same result, and I was resigning myself to re-sowing, when I looked at the bed yesterday, and there, at last, were a few broadie plants just showing their heads! So don't give up on them yet.

[Florence Fennel]

I might still hold out some hope for the ones my grandchildren sowed for me in November.

[solway cropper]

Wow are those broadies in flower now solway?

sorry, I should have said this was some of last years lot

[gojiberry]

The ones out on the lottie are all gonners. Have got several lots in pots in greenhouse and will sow every couple of weeks now till they are ready to plant out. Have sown both The Sutton and Aquadulce Claudia. The Sutton never look much out on the plot but surprisingly they often give a heavier harvest.

Ian

[Two_Sheds]

I lost all mine in the snow this year. They went black and flopped right over.

It doesn't mean they're dead, the roots might still be OK, and give you greenery when it warms up a bit.

Were they very tall going into winter? I can be very smug because (by chance not design) mine were only 4" tall when the snow came

[hailtryfan]

Were they very tall going into winter? I can be very smug because (by chance not design) mine were only 4" tall when the snow came

Loads of mine have gone black and floppy despite being only 4 inches tall

Some have got some new growth from the roots though

I've put my cold frame over them now and am gonna resow any plants soon that don't look like they've made it.

[frogga]

I only sowed mine yesterday (aquadulce), hoping to plant them out in early march when the weather has passed, hoping to sow every few weeks until early march to get a bumper crop this year and avoid the blackfly!