Broad beans: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow broad beans outdoors?
Sow broad beans outdoors in a sunny, sheltered spot with fertile, well-drained soil. In a temperate climate, spring is a common sowing period; autumn sowing is possible with hardy varieties in mild regions or very sheltered sites. Adapt the timing to your local conditions and avoid frozen or waterlogged ground. Mature compost can improve the soil; fixing nitrogen does not mean the plants have no other nutritional needs.
Sow around 5–7 cm deep, leaving roughly 15–25 cm between seeds according to the variety and the seed packet's guidance. Allow about 45 cm between single rows. Water after sowing if needed and keep the seedbed moist without soaking it. Check young plants for slug and snail damage and watch for mice eating the seeds. Identify any problem before intervening; nasturtiums and homemade soap sprays do not guarantee protection from pests.
How do you harvest broad beans?
Pick your broad beans when the pods are filled but still young and the beans inside are tender. Open a sample pod to check: the scar where each bean attaches should still be white or green rather than black. A soft pod alone is not enough to judge maturity. Harvesting time depends on the sowing date, variety and weather, and may extend from late spring into summer in a temperate climate.
Check the lower pods first, as they mature earlier, and pick regularly. Use scissors or secateurs to detach the pods without pulling on the stems. Use the beans soon after harvesting or keep them briefly in the fridge, checking their condition. For longer storage, prepare portions for freezing using an appropriate blanching, cooling and draining method. Once the crop is finished, cut healthy plants at the base and leave the roots in the soil.
Broad beans
- Type : Vegetables
- Subtype : Seed vegetables
- Botanical Family : Fabaceae (papilionaceae / legumes)
Characteristics
- Lifecycle : Annual
- Exposure : Full Sun
- Frost Hardiness : Frost Resistant
- Cultivation Difficulty : Medium
- Mature height : 50 cm
Sowing & Planting
- Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
- Sowing Depth : 3 cm
- Plant Spacing : 10 cm
- Row Spacing : 40 cm
Maintenance
- Maintenance : Moderate
- Water Requirements : Moderate
Other characteristics
- Soil Type : Humus-rich
- Soil pH Preference : Neutral
- Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
- Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
- Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
- Pollination : Self-pollinating
- Propagation : Sowing