Topic: Broad Beans and the Frost and Snow

[juniper]

I waited until mid November to sow my Aquadulce Claudia broad bean seeds, and also my autumn garlic. However, all of the frost happened before I could get out there and get the seeds in the ground.

Have I missed my chance? Do you think I could get away with germinating them inside and then put them out once the frost stops? Would it be better to wait for the weather to warm up a bit and sow them into the ground directly?

[the_snail]

That is what I am planning to do with my garlic this year. Plant them in trays then when ground is digable then place them into the final growing position in early feburary. I dont know about broad beans as I have never had any luck with autumn sown ones. Always sow mine in mid march to early april foe a june/july crop.

The_Snail

[Derekthefox]

I am doing as you intend to do juniper, ie plant in seed trays and then plant out when suitable. I do this to avoid 'misses' due to mice damage or rotting, and ensures a better fill of the rows.

Derekthefox :D

[juniper]

Many thanks to you both. I thought I may have missed the boat!

I grew autumn broad beans for the first time last year. They were superb. I only lost a couple of plants and was able to harvest a long time before my late -ish spring planting.

My fellow allotmenteer (who is in his eighties) planted his saved seed in the autumn, and lost almost all of them. He has planted saved seed for thirty odd years now. His spring sowing was fine.

There are only four of us who grow plants in our allotments, so it is great to have found a wider source of advice.

[Derekthefox]

It is sad to hear that so few of you grow on your plots. Whereabouts are you? Coventry here. My neighbour lost all his seed two years ago as well, we both bought a kilo bag, if we had realised, we would have split the bag. Still, we live and learn ...

Derekthefox :D

[dandelion]

When do you expect to harvest autumn sown broad beans?
I'm not ready yet to sow anything on my new allotment; only just started digging. But I do have sunny spot in my back garden where I grow my dahlias. They've been dug up for winter; I'll start them growing in my porch next spring to plant out by the middle of May. So if broad beans can be harvested before that I'll give them a try! The soil was manured last spring for the dahlias. Would that suit the beans?

[Lily]

I sowed my Aqua Dulce in October, but there's no sign of them yet, I guess the ground is a little too cold.  I'm sure they'll catch up when the ground warms up.  But, I'll keep some seeds back for spring, just in case.

Lily

[djbrenton]

I sowed mine in October along with garlic and onions. All doing very bicely. I put some extra beans in to fill gaps and they've all come up well so I can fill the odd miss in.

[Lily]

Dj - Are those your garlic in the photo under your name.  Did you grow them yourself.

Lily

[djbrenton]

Yes, I'd already sort of plaited the best ones before I found how to do it properly, so whilst that's the best plait it was't the best garlic.

[juniper]

Derek,

It sounds sad that only four of us grow things on the allotments, but it isn't quite as bad as it sounds! They are available  for the hamlet where I live, which has just 18 houses, and the next village just over a mile away, with about 30 houses.

In our hamlet, well over half of us grow fruit and veg in our gardens, but only a couple in the allotment itself. All of the allotments are taken though. Two horses are kept company by chickens and geese, and the couch grass is kept mowed to keep it looking tidy(ish)!

We are only a little to the south of you, near to Bicester.

I need to get those beans and the garlic planted in trays this week. I think I'll leave them to germinate in our unheated greenhouse, and will give some peas the same treatment.

[Meg]

My beans are up and growing well!!!!!!!!!!!

[spacehopper]

I sowed beans mid/late october. Most of them came up, but there are a few gaps. I'm going to sow some in pots to fill the gaps. I dropped a couple between paving slabs, and they have come up nicely!

[Obelixx]

I sowed  a whole packet of broad beans in October and they've come on well - except for a few gaps.  They are all now under their own personal 1.5litre plastic bottle cloche which is just as well as the recent snow came up to the neck of the bottles.

[Derekthefox]

Your location sounds idyllic to me Juniper, I live in a big noisy city! So my allotment is my escape ...

Derekthefox :D

[Lily]

I sowed a whole packet of broad beans in October and they've come on well - except for a few gaps. They are all now under their own personal 1.5litre plastic bottle cloche which is just as well as the recent snow came up to the neck of the bottles.

Hi Obbelix, How are you. 

The seeds I sowed in October have not come through yet, but the ones I grew in the Greenhouse and then planted out need a little protection, so I think I'll save a few plastic bottles and cover them for a little protection.

Lily

[timmyc]

The weather has warmed a little now, it's raining outside and will stay a little warmer for a while (which is just as well as the office Boiler has just given up the ghost and will need replacing, so we've no heating now!) so you could give it a go now and hope they germinate on time - alternatively sow in pots - 2 to a pot (pick out the weaker one once they germinate) and then put them in a coldframe/greenhouse if you have one - or alternatively leave them outside (but maybe give them a couple of days somewhere warm to germinate) and once germinated get them in the ground as soon as there is a bit of a thaw!

[juniper]

Thanks Timmy. It is much warmer here today. Have been too busy sealing our kitchen floor and getting to know A4A to plant anything yet.

However, this weekend will see broad beans, peas and garlic sown into pots in our conservatory. As soon as the first couple have germinated, they will be straight out into the cold greenhouse. From there, I plan to stand them outside in Jan/Feb, whenever there is a frost free period - and following that they will at last GO INTO THE ALLOTMENT.

Oh well - back to seal the last few slabs of the kitchen floor with their final coat.......

[Obelixx]

Hi Lily - been busy and also had ADSL probs so only been able to visit the boards occasionally. 

We've been having cold, clear frosty days but got up to 1C yesterday and 4C today and it's just clouded over and started drizzling.  I'm hopingthis lasts a few days now so I can get out and finish the last jobs.

When are you doing your Xmas market trip?

Obbelix

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'm hoping to get my garlic in this weekend, weather permitting, and the broad beans will just have to go in in the New Year, whenever the ground's unfrozen. It's definitely not too late; even if you had got them in just before the freeze, they'd just have sat through it doing nothing.