Tag: Broad Beans

Varieties of Vicia faba grown to be eaten as fresh broad beans tend to have larger, flatter, broader (hence the name) seeds. Dried fava beans are also known as field beans, horse beans or even tic beans (a name for the very smallest varieties). Are broad beans actually beans? Fava beans — or broad beans […]

Beans are usually green or white-green but look out for pink ones such as ‘Karmazyn’ and ‘Red Epicure’. All three together on a plate look marvellous. By picking regularly you can catch all your beans at their sweet and tender best before they turn into starchy, mealy monsters. What colour is a broad bean? Broad […]

No brainer. Broccoli after beans. Beans have been growing throughout spring and summer, fixing the soil with nitrogen, something that all the brassicas- broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts – need in spades! The beans have all gone. What do you plant after beans? Our Top Crops To Plant After Beans TOMATOES. SHOP NOW. SWEET CORN. […]

Broad beans are normally sown in the spring, from February to April. However some varieties are particularly hardy and can be sown in autumn from October to November (provided that the soil is still reasonably warm). November sowings usually germinate within 2-3 weeks. Do you soak broad beans before planting? Before planting, soak your seeds […]

Broad beans have a very good germination rate so it’s only necessary to sow one seed for every broad bean plant wanted. Sow a couple more seeds at the end of a row just in case one or two plants don’t grow. For dwarf varieties sow seeds 15cm / 6in apart, for taller growing varieties […]

There are two main types of broad beans – longpods and Windsors (short pods). Longpods are hardier, so well suited to autumn and very early spring sowings, and their seeds are kidney-shaped. Windsor types produce rounder beans in shorter, broader pods. Several of the cultivars we still grow today have a long history. What are […]

Grano VIOLETTO – Winter Sowing This variety of broad bean is one of the top crop choices if you want to plant across a garden or allotments area during the winter. Which is the best broad bean to grow? But if you are determined to autumn sow your broad bean seeds (we don’t recommend this) […]

Taller varieties of broad bean need supporting with canes and string – place strong supports at the end of each row, and then wrap rows of string around them, 30cm apart, to support the plants. Be sure to put in the supports in while the plants are still small. What is the best way to […]

Support your broad bean plants to prevent them from flopping under their own weight. Simply place a cane or stout stick at each corner of a double row and tie a taut piece of string between each cane. This is especially important in windy gardens. Keep your plants well watered, particularly as the flowers begin […]

Our best broad bean recipes Broad bean salad. Tomato & broad bean orecchiette. Drunken broad bean & goat’s cheese salad. Broad bean dip. Broad bean & wild fennel bruschetta. Spicy broad bean fritters with lemon minted yoghurt. Quinoa, feta & broad bean salad. Broad beans, garlic & feta bruschetta. What can I do with too […]

Prepare the seed bed so that it is firm and rake in some fish, blood and bone fertiliser before sowing or planting. Broad beans will thrive in a well-drained site that has been thoroughly dug. Is bone meal good for broad beans? It’s needed by broad beans to process nitrogen. They also appreciate a feed […]

Pests which Affect Beans (Broad) Aphid, Black Bean. Aphids (General) Capsid Bug. Cutworm. Slug. Snail. What is eating my broad beans? Pea and bean weevils are beetles that eat the leaf margins and shoot tips of garden peas and broad bean, causing characteristic notch-like damage. How do you protect broad beans? To guard against this, […]

Broad Beans do not need a rich soil. Sow on ground that has been manured for a previous crop. Do beans like horse manure? Manure has been shown to provide all the substances that beans need to grow, and it can be used exclusively without the need for chemical fertilizers. Manure enriches the soil and […]

So, though broad beans do not strictly need insects for pollination, they will do better with them than without. The bees and other pollinators will also very much appreciate the abundant source of nectar that the broad bean flowers provide. Why are my broad beans not producing beans? However, at present it is too early […]

Big seeds such as broad beans, squash and sweetcorn are their favourite spring treats. Grey squirrels also love to eat bulbs, though they often forget them, which is why you find them stashed elsewhere. What is eating my broad beans? Pea and bean weevils are beetles that eat the leaf margins and shoot tips of […]

To guard against this, February is the perfect time to protect your Broad Beans by pushing a few short canes into the earth along the sides of the bed where the plants are growing and then making a simple framework of longer canes, tied with garden twine, about two feet from the ground, through which […]

A Pigeon sees them as a tasty morsel for immediate consumption! Hopefully the plants will survive and will put up some more stems. In fact I know that some people advocate pinching-out Broad Beans just like Sweet Peas, to produce bushier, more compact plants. What animal eats broad beans? Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks and […]

Broad beans can be ready to pick from late spring to mid-summer, depending on the sowing time and variety. You can pick young immature pods when they are 7.5cm (3in) long and cook them whole. When picking pods to shell, wait until the beans are visible through the pod. Do broad beans keep producing? A: […]

Support your broad bean plants to prevent them from flopping under their own weight. Simply place a cane or stout stick at each corner of a double row and tie a taut piece of string between each cane. This is especially important in windy gardens. Do broad bean plants need support? Support broad beans when […]

Broad beans like lime and sulphate of potash – apply to the ground before sowing. Is lime good for broad beans? Broad beans are another winter growing plant. To sow, remember they love lime so add some to the soil, and make a groove for the seed. What is the best fertilizer for broad beans? […]