Allotments 4 All

I have tried aquadulce several times without success.  I have a packet of The Sutton which says you can sow November to July.

Has anyone had any success with this variety outside of the normal Feb to June sowing period?

I never bother with autumn sown varieties as such I don't find it much of an advantage more so in wet winter seasons.

I find that sowing them in 3" pots indoors in Jan/Feb is just as good and I find that I have a better success rate, and I seem to harvest around the same time as those people on the plot who sow in autumn.

I generally put my heat on in Jan/Feb to get my chrysants & Dahlias going so I usually find a spot on the hot bed for germinating a few BB's

As soon as they are around 3"-4" high I put them in the coldframe until the soil is fit for planting out!

Another advantage I find by doing it this way is; I can buy most any type of BB meaning that if I buy a summer one I can get at least two sowings in the one year from one packet, rather than having to buy two types to go the autumn sowing route!

I got the packets from Wyevale cheap so not so bothered.  Also got one call Luz de Otono.

Like you I normally start sowing February under bottle cloches.  But thought I would try again with different varieties.   I cropped this year 10 days after a neighbour who over wintered but got a much bigger crop.   The previous year all the overwinter ones here died so the February ones certainly won. 

I sow every month from Feb to June so do five sowings.   So I have four-five months of broadies.

Luz de Otono is also supposed to be sown in July and crop in October.  So I am keen to try that out as well.

It is rather odd but the sowing instructions for T&M and Suttons are different for the same variety - The Sutton. 

I might try half a dozen of each as an experiment.

They are dwarf so you can better cloche them.  But they are certainly not as winter hardy as the longpods.  And if Aquadulce does not survive where you garden, then the less hardy ones won't either.

Sowing in February under cover (conservatory in my case, but could be greenhouse or window sill) is the best way if you don't live near the coasts where overwintering is a good proposition.