A week later than I had hoped but the broad beans are in! I sow these beauties every year around this time (last year they were sown on the 29th of November so I’m not that far off…) and they’ve always given me a good harvest. The variety I grow are called Aquadulce Claudia, a hardy and quick maturing bean which is perfect for over wintering. They can withstand -15 celcius temperatures and are ready to harvest in the Spring, they are usually one of the first crops I harvest on Plot 15c in the new year and one of the tastiest too!
I’ve sown 2 rows of broad beans where the potatoes were last year, I use a crop rotation to help with nutrients and to stop diseases. Each seed is roughly 2-3 inches deep, 6 inches apart and the rows are about 9 inches apart. I also remembered to sow a few extra seeds down the middle of the row in case the mice nibble a few or some don’t germinate. Once they do germinate I’ll cover them with a cloche net to stop any birds pulling the seedlings out of the ground and then once they are about 2 foot tall I will start to build a structure to support them.
Whilst I’m busy tidying up the allotment ready for Winter it feels great to be sowing new seeds ready for the next growing season…