[wbmkk]

I wanted to sow some broad beans in my new allotment, but the ground was pretty wet. I decided to start them off in toilet roll tubes, in the greenhouse.

I sowed them on Sat, Oct 26 and they are just showing their wee heads now ... or at least some of them are. No doubt the others will catch up very soon.

I kept  1/2 packet of seeds back (as I didn't have enough cardboard tubes)

I was going to sow the others directly in the ground .. I even prepared a nice wee bed for them. but it has been pretty wet recently.

However the ground seems OK now (well, for autumn anyway) so should I direct sow them now, or maybe, just sow another batch in tubes. the last lot, were left in the unheated propagator in the greenhouse. I do have a heated propagator ... so should I maybe consider this for the 2nd batch of tube seeds.

Thanks for any advice provided

[sunshineband]

Broad beans are tough and won't need the cushy environment of a heated propagator, as they will then grow too soft to harden off and plant out without damage.

I made this mistake once and the stems went all black.

I cannot sow directly as the local voles look upon the seed as their private food supply. I usually use deepish modules.

A friend however germinates the seed in damp compost in a clear poly bag in her shed. The beans are then potted up, hardened off and planted out when they have one complete set of leaves. Seems to work for her.