Growing broad beans is a great way to add nutrient-dense food to your garden. They are easy to grow and can be harvested in as little as 8 weeks! Here is a guide to planting, growing, and harvesting broad beans.
Growing and Planting Broad Beans
Broad Beans do best on strong, heavy soil, but run too much to leaf on that which is too sandy or too rich, and providing the soil is in good condition, no manure. Needs to be used at the time of sowing the seed. This, however, depends also on the time the Beans are sown.
A moderately rich, dry, soil is best for a crop sown in Winter, whilst a cool, or more tenacious soil suits the late crops. The ground must be deeply dug and manure added when necessary.
Should the soil for early planting be stiff, it may be thrown into ridges and the seed sown on the top of each. Late sowings require protection from hot winds, while early and main crop plantings require a good open situation.
Planting Broad Beans
Broad beans should be planted during the cooler months of autumn or spring. If you’re planting in autumn, make sure to sow the seeds about 10 weeks before the first expected frost. You can direct seed outdoors or start indoors in containers.
Sow the seed in Winter for an early crop, and again in June, July, August and September, to preserve a succession. Seed may be sown in double rows about 6 inches apart, allowing 4 feet between each set of double rows, or in single rows from 3 to 3½ feet apart.
A good plan which helps to minimize the attacks of worms and soil insects is to start the seed before putting it in the ground. Fill a basin about three-quarters full with the beans and cover with water. As soon as signs of growth appear drop each seed into a hole in the ground. By this means almost every seed sown will grow, and there will be no misses.
If you’re transplanting from containers, wait until all danger of frost has passed before doing so.
The best varieties for the home Garden are Leviathan Longpod, Triumph, and Broad Windsor. The tops of Broad Beans cut and boiled like Spinach make a delicious vegetable.
Should dry weather prevail during planting with the later crops, steep the seed for a few hours in clean water, and thoroughly water the bottom of the drills, then sow and cover in without delay.
Growing Broad Beans
Broad beans need full sun and well-draining soil with a pH between 6-7.5 for optimal growth. Water regularly during dry periods, but don’t overwater them, they don’t like wet soil. Add an organic fertilizer such as compost or aged manure at the beginning of the season for extra nutrition. Pinch off spent flowers after they wilt to encourage more blooms throughout the season. Keep an eye out for pests such as aphids and bean beetles that may feed on your plants – if detected spray with an insecticidal soap solution or neem oil to eradicate them without damaging your crop.
Harvesting Broad Beans
You can start harvesting broad beans when they reach 4 – 6 inches long – this usually takes 8 – 10 weeks from planting time depending on climate conditions and type of bean used. Pick every few days once they reach this size until flowering slows down (when pods become tough). Pull up whole plants when harvest season is over or pick off remaining pods by hand. To store fresh broad beans, keep them in plastic bags inside your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks (make sure you use them before their expiration date). You can also freeze or dry broad beans for longer storage periods if desired.
Broad Beans sown late, under reasonable conditions, will be ready for picking about the end of October, and later sowings will be available accordingly.
While the crop is growing keep the ground loose by occasionally forking or deep hoeing, as well as manuring with Lime, Bone Dust, Superphosphate or Stable Manure. As the plants begin to flower, pinch the top off each stem, as this makes the pods set better. Gather the pods as they become ready for use so that the strength of the plant is maintained and the bearing period prolonged. Once the plants are allowed to mature their seed they stop flowering and die off.
Planting, growing, and harvesting broad beans is simple yet rewarding and you get delicious veggies out of it too. With a bit of effort and TLC, you can enjoy fresh broad beans right from your own garden in no time at all.
