[Sago48]

I sowed broad beans in trays indoors about 2 weeks go - it was very frosty then so I decided to plant them indoors.
 I expected them to germinate slowly and so go in the ground maybe early March, when they were say 10cm or so tall. But they sprouted quickly and are now around 30cm tall and quite leggy, with the leaves only just opening. They're in a brightish window with no direct sun and no heat in the room.

I think they really need more light and should be outside if they're to have a chance of recovering to a more normal size. My question is is it safe to put them out now and if not what is the best way to keep them from getting taller until they've thickened up a bit. I don't have a greenhouse or a cold frame.

If it's best is to start again and sow outside I'm OK with that too.

Thanks.

[snow white]

I don't sow them until mid/end March, in my polytunnel in modules.  As you have experienced, they do not grow properly indoors.  If you planted them out now then you  stand a good chance of losing them to cold weather.  Are you able to harden them off for a couple of weeks?  If not then I would start again, but wait a few weeks and then either put the seed in the ground or in modules in your polytunnel/greenhouse/coldframe.  (Time enough to buy/build one!)

I am sure others will put their opinions in as well.

[DIGGER]

I always start my first crop inside in cells mid January". They are just showing,I will leave bee for time being then leave them outside in a sheltered spot,then in ground.
Broad beans are quite hardy,I would do as prev reply,out in day in at night,my guess is they will be fine.

[sunshineband]

You might be able to rescue them by hardening them off but as they germinate so quickly \I would be tempted to start again I reckon

[Mum2mj]

I would probably start again too

[victoria park]

  I would do both, harden off and put out the leggy souls toute suite under a little wind protection, and also sow, say, half as many again in between the leggy ones, the wind net helping to stop mice eating the new seed.
Most will survive almost certainly, and the newbies will fill in the gaps. And black fly willing, the later sown ones will serve as a sort of successional sowing.
And how the two groups of plants fare this year will give you invaluable experience alongside eachother in how these beans behave.  I have tried all manner of combinations of timings over the years, and one thing is clear to me. The right varieties are just about the hardiest crop going, apart from  ...... black fly .

[Sago48]

Thanks everyone. I'll find a place to harden them off and also plant more after warming up a patch of ground on my allotment - on the assumption that i'll lose half of the current leggy ones. then they can compete with each other to see who gets the most blackfly!!

[Salmo]

You were right to start them when you did. These early ones will probably escape much blackfly. I find they are a better alternative to overwintering. The trick is to put them outside as soon as the first ones emerge. If you keep them inside until all have emerged the most advanced ones will be getting leggy.

Put the ones you have outside. The forecast is mild weather. When you plant them out, plant them deep so that they support themselves.

[DD.]

I'm going to be brutal! I'd say at a foot high with the leaves only just opening, they don't have a chance!

[New shoot]

I would also agree that plants that leggy aren't really worth keeping.

If re-sown, they will be up in no time.  They would germinate outside now.  I have some in the unheated greenhouse just showing.

[TheWhiteRabbit]

Yup, agreed...compost them and start again. I haven't sown my broad beans yet, so there's plenty of time. I'd sow direct and they should be much happier.

In the past I've sown in modules and kept in an unheated polytunnel AND sown direct. The direct sown always seem to do better.

[victoria park]

You were right to start them when you did. These early ones will probably escape much blackfly. I find they are a better alternative to overwintering. The trick is to put them outside as soon as the first ones emerge. If you keep them inside until all have emerged the most advanced ones will be getting leggy.

The emboldened bit above is good advice. I do the same for most batch sown crops, especially parsnips which need to go out soon as they show a sniff of having germinated.
One more thing though, if the leggy broad beans keel over out in the wild, they can be snipped back and encouraged to send up another stalk. It's the early root system that is the most valuable part now that the season is upon us.

[Sago48]

Thanks everyone. I've put them outside in a sort of tent greenhouse thing and we'll see. If they do strengthen I'll plant them out in March at the same time as their cousins. If they don't it doesn't matter really.

[victoria park]

Sago, my advice would be to get them in the ground asap. Don't get too worrisome.  Keeping them in trays will just about finish them off. They need food and room to stretch. The weather is pretty friendly looking for the next week.

[jaydig]

Mine had been outside for a few days, and today I planted them on the plot.  They're not very big at the moment, but they soon get away and grow tall.  I don't know when I can get to the allotment again for a few days, so they'll have to take their chances.