AllotMe
GROWING GUIDES
Broad Beans
Vegetables
Easy
Planting Schedule
Month by month
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Harvest
Sow Seeds Indoors
Sow indoors in pots from January to February for an early start. One bean per 8cm pot.
Outdoors
Sow direct outdoors from February to April, or in October/November for overwintering varieties.
Harvest
Pick when the beans are visible through the pod but before the scar on the bean turns black. Approx 12-16 weeks from sowing.
Month by month
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Harvest
How to Sow
- Sow seeds 5cm deep and 20cm apart in double rows 20cm apart
- Leave 60cm between each double row
- For autumn sowing, use hardy varieties like 'Aquadulce Claudia'
- Push the bean in with the scar facing downwards
- Water the drill before sowing rather than after to avoid waterlogging
Plant Care
- Support taller varieties with canes and string once they reach 15-20cm
- Pinch out the growing tips once the first pods start to form — this also deters blackfly
- Water well once flowers and pods appear
- Watch for blackfly on the tips — pinching out or spraying with soapy water helps
- After harvest, cut plants at ground level but leave roots in the soil — they fix nitrogen for the next crop
AllotMe’s Tips
- Broad beans are one of the earliest crops you can sow — great for an early-season confidence boost
- Autumn-sown broad beans crop 2-3 weeks earlier than spring-sown ones
- Young broad bean tips are edible and delicious wilted like spinach — don't waste them when you pinch out!
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