Allotments 4 All

Any views on spacing broad beans in a well-manured deep bed? Seems such a waste to leave 18 inches between double rows as usually suggested. Has anyone tried equal spacing at, say, 6 inches? Will they then pollinate and crop successfully? Any thoughts or experience will be welcome - thanks

Hi Forkauk.  My "idiot" notes tell me to sow in staggered double rows allowing 9” between the two lines forming the rows, 2” deep every 5”.   Allow 24”/30” between each pair of  rows.  Any help?
Twinkletoes

I always plant as close as possible in about four rows, Then they will hold each other up when they get taller. Sometimes if they get too tall I surround them all with twine to hold them together. A bit awkward to crop as they snap easily, but can be done with care.

20cm (8 ins) in all directions works well too.  This year I had really good yields from Aquadulce grown in deep beds at this spacing. They do hold each other up but worth providing some support round the sides if exposed to strong winds.

Thanks to all who replied.  As I need to get on with early sowing, I'll try a 4ft x 4ft block with equal spacing, similar to GodfreyRob's suggestion, and will support them with string round stout corner posts.

Will try and report back next spring.

On the subject of broad beans - I'm growing them for the first time this year and have sown some in a cold frame ready to plant out come spring.  They went in a couple of weeks ago.  The early peas that went in at the same time have sprouted but no signs of activity from the beans.  Should I be worrying yet?

Allow at least 3 weeks for the broad beans.

If you sow in beds you don't have to allow room between rows (in fact you don't have to sow in rows, blocks is better). The only reason to leave 18 inches between rows is so you can walk between them!

As for the 9 inch spacing, my Italian cousins tell me off every year saying that I'm sowing them far too far apart.  They sow in clusters of five seeds with about 25 cm between clusters.  I'm going to have a go at clusters of three next year and see how that goes. The plants are very good at keeping each other up, an old clothes line strung around the bed keeps them in place.  :) :) :)

I tried an experiment this year.

Half the pack were sown directly in to the ground.  On the same day I started off the other half indoors, planted in toilet roll tubes.  They were planted out 14 days later, each one under a bottle.

The indoor ones are now up about an inch or so, the other yet to appear, but it will be interesting to see which give the better overall crop.

I have to suggest that the outdoor ones are spending all their energy on roots so far and will outperform the others. Any report from you next year will be interesting.

I sowed mine in modules and planted them out in a block about 8 or 9 inches apart. So far they're looking very perky.

Thanks Eristic and Silverbirch - I'll stop holding my breath and let them get on with it in their own time.  I'm going to have to go for block planting, fairly close, as space is v. limited.

Quote from: djbrenton on November 24, 2007, 00:55:50
I have to suggest that the outdoor ones are spending all their energy on roots so far and will outperform the others. Any report from you next year will be interesting.

Or the outdoor ones are providing energy for the local mouse population.