Topic: Broad beans, and raking?

[timelady]

Off to do some digging now, here's my newbie questions for the week. :D

I've been growing broad beans in the studio and have lovely big little plants! Is it too late to plant them out? Was told to put them under homemade cloches which is fine, but don't they need to grow up something? Do I make a tall cloche of some kind?  I also have cauliflower seedlings started, no idea if they can survive the winter but going to put them out under cloches anyway. (loved the hanging basket ones they made in Gardener's World mag this month!)

Second question, do I need to be raking clay soil? I'm turning it over for the winter, getting the couch grass out. But in my flower bed it's off course still all thick and clumpy even though dug. A friend uses a rake to smooth and break up soil but will this work with clay? It just seems it would be too hard (the clay that is, not the work).

Tina.

[supersprout]

Rake? I wouldn't :) If lumps offend thee, cover with a mulch - which will enocurage the worms to break the lumps down, and minimise weeding in Spring.
What variety of broadies timelady? ::)

[RSJK]

There should be no need to grow broadbeans under a cloche,they will survive the winter ok without them.

[sarah]

if you have started broadies indoors you may need to harden them off a bit before planting out so its not too much of a shock. maybe?

[timelady]

You guys answer so quickly! Just been at the allotment a couple hours and you've already replied.

Great that the broad beans can be out. Met another neighbour today and she wasn't sure what to do about her broad beans either, hers are already out. How do I harden them a bit? Poor babies. We brainstormed homemade cloches for other things, not for me but she's got quite a lot still growing.

As for clumps, I don't mind them. I just wondered if they'd be a problem for the flowers to get through. Probably not but see I don't know these things. :)

Thanks all!
Tina.

[dandelion]

Last year I sowed my broadbeans indoors in early December and planted them out in mid December. I protected them with a mini pop-up greenhouse and they were absolutely fine, probably didn't need the protection ...

I'm on clay soil too, and last year my plot was un-rakable for most of the year (the soil being either too wet and sticky or too dry and hard :(). I started most things off in modules (homemade own origami newspaper pots). When I did sow fine seed directly, I just made a shallow drill and filled it with seed compost.

[timelady]

okay, read up on hardening off. So if I put them out say under some plastic water bottle 'cloches' to start with would that work to acclimatise them? They've been in a very sunny window, fairly warm room until now. I don't have a sort of interim space like a greenhouse or anything. Was going to make them a string climbing frame so suppose could even put that through the hole in the top of the bottle. :)

Tina.

[dandelion]

That sounds fine Timelady. Last spring I used 4 pt plastic milk bottles to harden off my squashes. The plastic bottles can be blown away in windy weather, but putting a cane through the top should prevent this.

[manicscousers]

don't forget to put a plastic bottle on the top of the cane to protect your eyes when bending, I speak from experience  :)

[sarah]

i have always planted over wintering broadies straight out with no protection and have had no problems ( i am on the south coast though - but aquadulce are pretty hardy).  to harden them off i woudl move them outside during the day and bring in to a cool room/shed at night fr a week or so and then plant out on a mildish day when frost not to likely and they will be fine with out protection i would say (sure someone will disagree).  they wont grow much over winter at all. inthe spring you will need to stake them to stop them blowing over but they are not climbers like runners so dont need poles. good luck ;D

[cornykev]

;D   Planted mine straight out mid October coming up nicely not protecting been told they can look after themselves. Hardening off just leave outside for a few hours at a time then longer and longer then just plant out just as Sarah says, next time plant straight out saves all the hassle.   ;) :D ;D :-*

[timelady]

Cool. Thanks all.

Oh, and I didn't have an outside to plant them in. Got so excited about knowing I was getting an allotment that I started seeds in pots at the studio. But giving up that space at the end of this week so out in plastic bottles they must go! ;D

Ta,
Tina.

[redimp]

If they are aquadulces they will not need any protection.  If they are anything else, they may need a bit to keep hard frosts off them.  I have sown Bunyards Exhibition this year and mine will be fleeced (fleece over the support canes) to keep the hard frosts off and to prevent any snow/wind from breaking them.

[angle shades]

 :) RC I'm in your neck of the woods and have never given my Bunyards Exhibition any protection,touch wood they do fine every year/shades x

[kitten]

Am i right in thinking i can still sow broadies in January - only i think i've left it too late for November sowing  ::)  and we don't get our lottie til Jan? Shades & red - i'm near to you both too, ever sown these in the new year? kitten x

[supersprout]

Yes, most varieties of broadies are sown in Spring. And last year my spring sown broadies did much better than their straggly overwintered cousins ::)

[kitten]

Groovy  8) thanks yet again ss! kitten x

[redimp]

Ooh, thanks Shades, can put fleecing me broadies to the bottom of my prority list then and do summat else instead. :)

I sowed some in February this year and they rotted but will try again next - never one to be put off :)

[supersprout]

last year I forgot to sow broadies in succession and they were all over by June - next year I'll sow a couple of rows every 2-3 weeks until end of May :)