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Broadies - can I plant them out now ?

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  • Broadies - can I plant them out now ?

    I have broad bean plants which are now a good six inches and growing well in modules in the greenhouse. I am concerned that they will start to go downhill if I do not move them on. I am thinking about planting them out on the lottie and covering them with a couple of layers of fleece. The variety is "The Sutton" BTW. What do you think ? Is it worth a gamble ? I could always replant in March, I suppose, if the get killed off by bad weather.

  • #2
    its always worth a try isnt it? Have you got somewhere where the soil has been 'warmed', ie; covered by membrane or something?
    Dont worry about tomorrow, live for today

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    • #3
      Over wintering Autumn sown broad beans cope very well with the frost. The plants look awful when wilted and covered in frost but soon perk up once it warms up a little. How plants that have been mollicodled in a greenhouse would fare, if put out at this time of year, I'm not sure. It's not like you can aclimatise them to the frosty conditions. Once frosted they'll either survive or not.

      Can you plant a few out and see what happens. If they survive OK send the rest out to join them. If not hold the others back until conditions are more favourable.
      It is the doom of man, that they forget.

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      • #4
        Do not put them straight in the ground in this weather!
        Broad beans are indeed hardy, but like anything else they need hardening off properly, for starters, and if you put them into very cold, wet soil they will sulk if not die.

        I had a batch in my plastic greenhouse which I'd forgotten were there, so I stuck them outside with the rest ... and they have now pretty much died. It was just too big a temperature shock for them.
        All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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        • #5
          You need to warm the ground a little by covering it with plastic or fleece for several days. Make sure the plants are fully hardened off and cover with fleece for a week or so when planted. They will withstand the cold but as Two Shed said they don't like sudden big changes. Once established they will survive pretty well, the bigest threat I find is cold strong winds.

          Ian

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          • #6
            I agree with Two Sheds - broad beans are theoretically hardy, but they do easily die in a British winter. I've killed many.

            They will more than likely succumb to the cold unless you very gradually harden them off. Going in the cold ground, their roots will get damaged/ frosted, and then there's no going back.

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            • #7
              I was reading The Garden, the RHS magazine today. On one page it said not to transplant broad beans, then 2 pages later it said to start them off in pots and transplant when the weather gets better! Talk about contradictions.
              I've started some off in 6in pots in the cold greenhouse, and I can see the roots poking through the bottoms already. I was thinking of hardening them off and planting them out eventually under fleece. There's only 9, so if I lose them it won't matter too much
              Last edited by BarleySugar; 21-01-2009, 11:31 PM.
              I could not live without a garden, it is my place to unwind and recover, to marvel at the power of all growing things, even weeds!
              Now a little Shrinking Violet.

              http://potagerplot.blogspot.com/

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              • #8
                Thanks, everybody for your advice. I think I knew in my bones what you said but I was looking for confirmation. I think I shall start to prepare the soil for them and harden them off and if it looks like the weather is not going to be too rough for a few days I shall put them out. My other alternative is to put them in larger pots and keep them in the greenhouse - I am worried they are going to outgrow their present modules.
                Thanks, you have helped to make up my mind.

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                • #9
                  It will obviously make a difference that you are in a mild part of the country, so you may be lucky.

                  I used to think I lived in a mild part of the country, until I started growing vegetables!!

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                  • #10
                    Gosh, I havent started anything yet. Could I try broad beans in my non-heated polytunnel then?
                    Bec
                    ----------------------------------------------
                    Am now happy - I can get out in the polytunnel again with the warmer weather.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by welsh veg grower View Post
                      Gosh, I havent started anything yet. Could I try broad beans in my non-heated polytunnel then?
                      yes and early peas too - as of today I'm soaking around 120 kelvedon wonder peas and when they sprout they're going in my unheated greenhouse, hopefully for peas in May.

                      cheers,

                      KC
                      Jiving on down to the beach to see the blue and the gray, seems to be all and it's rosy-it's a beautiful day!

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                      • #12
                        I grew aqua dulce claudia last year, I started them in modules at the beginning of feb and planted them out at the end of feb they were about 3 inch high and the roots were about 3 inch out of the bottom of the modules, when I planted them out I covered them with a clocheuntil the chance of frost had passed and I had tha biggest crop out of everyone on the allotments.
                        _____________
                        Cheers Chris

                        Beware Greeks bearing gifts, or have you already got a wooden horse?... hehe.

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