Broad beans have now germinated

Could you tell me how to look after my broad beans that have now germinated in their individual 9 cm pots. I sowed them and left them in the greenhouse, most have 3 inch sprouts and leaves. Shall I take them and put them in a plot I have for them at the allotment or keep them in their pots here in a sheltered position. V

 

@vbgr I would harden them off, put them outside in the day, in a sheltered spot and back in the greenhouse at night. After a few days you can leave them outside full time and then plant out at allotment.

 

Hi @NigelJ , thank you for your advice. At the moment our temperature is 14 o at night and 18 o during the daytime. It’s so warm I am worried that the plants don’t know there is a winter to come soon. So as soon as they are toughened up I’ll take them to the allotment. Plant them about 4 inches apart and be ready to give a bit of protection if needed. V

 

I've never grown broad beans to overwinter, I think normally you would direct sow them where you intend them to grow.
I do grow them in pots, but usually in February for planting out late March/ April time.

 

I think that is what I should have done. Hopefully they will grow ok and have a good start. The reason I put them on pots was to make sure they germinated before the mice got them. V

 

Yeah, I get your thinking.
My thinking is that sowing in spring in a greenhouse gives you the head start that overwintering creates without the problems that can happen to the plants right through the winter, frost slugs etc.
Recent mild winters means they should do OK, I can remember years ago it was a bit of a lottery.

 

@pete I shall remember for next year and sow in February. Keep fingers crossed. V

 

Do you think that if I plant them in the greenhouse they would grow, flower and give me a good crop of beans in February. V

 

No, not really.
They need to be outside really.
They would never get pollenated at that time of the year and I doubt they would grow well.

 

Thank you for that. To the allotment they will go. V

 

I was just now watching the last run of gardeners world on the tele for this year that I have on player. I noticed that Monty had some broad beans in pots in his green house that look like mine. He didn’t say, but I wonder what he is going to do with his. Does anyone know if I missed it. V

 

I've sown broad bean "Aqua Dulce" in the autumn for the past 30+ years. They don't do much over winter, but get off to a flying start in spring and you have broad beans some weeks earlier than those sown in spring. I had one really bad year in Essex in the early 90's, butg apart from that they've been reliable.

 

I've tried them a few times in autumn but my allotment gets no direct sun for 6 months of the year and they tend to die. Also Glasgow is extremely wet. So I now sow them in January in large modules in the greenhouse with good success, planting out in march in good weather.

You can plant them in the greenhouse but they certainly won't be ready in February. More like June, so they will take up space when you could be planting toms, aubergine, cucumber or melons in may. You could though use them as shoots, broad bean shoots are edible either as salad leaves or in something like a stir fry. I prefer pea shoots though for that

If you don't plant them outside now, I would just repot them if they are getting too big and plant out early spring next year.

 

Hi guys, thank you so much for your input. Happily, I’m in a warm spot on the south coast, so I’m going to plant them out in a couple of days when they have had time to acclimatise. I shall give a little protection a bit later. Also, I’ve sent for some more seeds and I shall plant then in situ about February. Next year I will have a good idea if it was worth October sowing or better for a February sowing. This year I didn’t sow nearly half of what I needed. It’s such an important food at that time when there is little else about. Can anyone tell me if there is anything else I can sow now to have a crop early in the year. I have spring cabbage growing and purple sprouting broccoli. The carrot crop was obviously too late sown as they are not going to make it, unless the green leafy tops are worth eating. V

 

@pete , @NigelJ ,@Hanglow, up date from October sowing of broad beans.
Hi guys, well I took my broad beans to the plot and surrounded them with some old glass panels to protect a little. They are now fully grown with plenty of flowers just getting ready to get pods. Do I pollinate with a brush or just leave them to it? In February I used the last of the seeds up by germinating them in the greenhouse and then putting them next to the fully grown ones. The ones sown in October are fantastic and the February ones will never catch up to them. So I’m hoping for an early crop and then when they are finished, the late ones will just be ready in time. I’ll get back to you after the first boiling.thanks for your help, V