[Allan-25J]

I am looking to grow some over winter Broad beans.

I took over the plot at the start of the year and the guy previous was growing mainly Potatoes. I have no idea if or what was used as soil improvers.

My question is should I put down some horse manure it will only be down for about 3 weeks at most before the plants are ready for planting? If its to close to planting to use the Horse Manure i can use grow more or Blood Fish and Bone. What is your advise

Many thanks

[Goosegirl]

I've never grown over-wintering broad beans, but I'd avoid anything with a lot of nitrogen because it will make them grow "soft" and they may not survive. See what others say.

[yorky]

If the manure is well rotted it shouldn't do any harm. It could even provide some protection from the worst of the weather. If we have a severe winter Broad Beans can sometimes struggle a bit.

[Aidy]

I have sown/grown Sutton BB before from November, I dug in rotted muck but nothing extra, they grew ok but to honest they were not that much ealier than those sown Feb.
Remember winter tends to have stronger winds and if you get a prolonged cold winter they will just sit there. A late winter sowing for me here seems to more productive.

[oldgrunge]

I gave up growing over wintered broad beans years ago. As someone else said, I found they weren't much earlier than spring sown ones, and in some hard winters thy really struggled. I know this doesn't answer your question, but it's an option, born of experience, to think about.

[Snowboar]

I find winter sow give me a much better crop and hardly any black fly I live in Yorkshire

[Christine]

Last time I did over winter broad beans it was a cold winter and the plants laid down, recovered, laid down, recovered along with the heaviest of the snows, winds and frosts. And were no earlier than the ones planted early spring. Not something I have bothered to repeat.

[lettice]

Tried over wintered broad beans a few decades ago.

It was a colder winter that year, but being down here not what most on here would call a cold winter.
They did no better than the early Feb sown ones, both being Aquadulce.

[AnneB]

I sow my Wizard field beans in autumn - usually last week of October - or first week of November and find they do very well indeed.   They are extremely hardy.

[Allan-25J]

Are these the wizard field beans your on about

https://www.seekay.co.uk/green-manure---field-beans---wizard-1839-p.asp

[AnneB]

Are these the wizard field beans your on about

https://www.seekay.co.uk/green-manure---field-beans---wizard-1839-p.asp

They look to be the same variety, they are often sold as a green manure, but taste fantastic and are more productive than a standard broad bean by quite a margin.  I got mine from Tuckers Seeds, who sadly don't do mail order any more, but Real Seeds sell them too.  I haven't bought any for a few years, as not being an F1, I save the seed. I really recommend them.

[New shoot]

Another Wizard fan here    I do the same as Anne and sow direct in late autumn, then generally walk away and leave them to it.  I don't even put any supports in, so they are pretty faff-free    Our site also suffers with broad bean rust.  They get a touch of it, shrug it off and carry on.

The pods and beans are smaller with only 3-4 beans in each, but they grow in clusters and you get loads per plant.  Even in a tough year like this one, I got a crop.  Not as bountiful as I have had, but still way better than other plot holders growing standard broad beans. 

My seeds are also saved year to year.  I got them from another forum member on here, but they had saved seeds that originally came from Real Seeds.

[mjg000]

I agree about the Wizard Field beans.  I sow over winter to get ahead of the Blackfly and overwintering has done well for me.  Back to the question of manure/ compost etc, I always plant through a layer of Growmore.