Starting broad beans

[mormor]

I am sprouting some broad beans and now wonder:
a. Should I put them straight in the ground
b. Should I start them in toilet roll insides indoors
c: All ideas welcome.

I know it's early for Denmark - but the weather is OK and forecast good.

[mormor]

[Digeroo]

Broadbeans are pretty hardy. They can go outside, but they do not like soggy ground, they are happier with cold.  How are you for voles, mice and squirrels.   They all like a free lunch.   I put mine under plastic bottles.   I have tried wire netting, but the squirrels simply lift it off and the voles bury underneath.  Its been very warm and wet here presume you have had similar.

I have put some outside and some in pots.  Then I start another batch every few weeks until june.

I start sowing them in Feb.

[artichoke]

I put them straight into the ground. I have two patches of strong little plants from autumn sowing, and am about to put another chitted batch in today.

Last year when it was so cold, I did grow them on in loo rolls first as my overwintering ones did not do well and had plenty of gaps which I filled in with the loo rolls.+

[peanuts]

I no longer grow them, here in SW France, as i grew them for 25 +  years in UK and got fed up with them in the end.  But I always did them the same way, sowing them early Feb in big seed trays, about 30 to a tray, and planted them out when they were several inches high.  They didn't mind their roots being 'torn apart' and being disturbed unlike other plants.

[antipodes]

Here in Britanny I did a small row straight in the ground about 10 days ago, it has been mild but still getting down to about 3 or 4 deg in the morning, but they are unperturbed, they are up and look good. I would direct sow a few under plastic bottles. I find them hard to get wrong.

[kt.]

I sow direct in the ground.

[Ian Pearson]

I always do one early batch in modules in an unheated greenhouse away from mice. Once these are planted out, I do a second batch direct sown. It gives a nicely extended harvest period.

[gavinjconway]

I do same as Ian above... works well..

[mormor]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I'll go out tomorrow and plant the ones I've started.  And then start some more in toilet roll insides just for fun!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I start mine in pots. The only things to watch out for are that they need to go out pretty promptly once they germinate, and they need protection from slugs when planted out.

[ancellsfarmer]

I have a substantial group of shelled-out field beans self sown , about 3feet tall and in bloom! It will be interesting to see if the few bumble bees out and about these nice afternoons do their stuff,bringing the prospect of a picking for Easter ?

[artichoke]

Have you shelled and eaten them as green beans before? Are they nice? I ask because I have a patch of field beans (not anywhere near flowering!) and was planning to harvest them as dried beans much later. But it would be nice to use some of them fresh.

[ancellsfarmer]

Have you shelled and eaten them as green beans before? Are they nice? I ask because I have a patch of field beans (not anywhere near flowering!) and was planning to harvest them as dried beans much later. But it would be nice to use some of them fresh.
[/quote


Yes,smaller than your average broad bean, steamed,with butter and blackpepper, YUM
Tendancy of crop to age quickly, but last season was odd !.]In future , intend to harvest batch to freeze, hopefully at their peak.