[VeggieVirgin]

A friend has just told me he sows broad beans in October for overwintering and an early crop next spring.

Would Imperial Green Longpod be suitable for this?

[Aunt Sally]

Aquadulce Claudia is the best one for autumn sowing.

[VeggieVirgin]

Aquadulce Claudia is the best one for autumn sowing.

OK - thanks. I can feel another visit to the garden centre coming on.

[Salmo]

Best not to be in a hurry to sow them. They will survive the Winter best if they are only just above the soil by Christmas. In my area November 5th is a good day to sow.

Many crops perished last Winter that were sown early and were a foot high to go into the Winter.

[solway cropper]

Because of the severe winter my autumn sown ones that survived were actually overtaken by those I started off in tubs in the greenhouse in March. I won't waste any space with overwintered ones again although it might work 'darn saarf'

[Paul Plots]

Because of the severe winter my autumn sown ones that survived were actually overtaken by those I started off in tubs in the greenhouse in March. I won't waste any space with overwintered ones again although it might work 'darn saarf'

Worked for me but it is a bit hit and miss depending on winter / spring weather.
This year the autumn sown produced a crop a couple of weeks earlier than the spring sown lot. As you say, they took a bashing over winter but still worth it this time round.

[8doubles]

Because of the severe winter my autumn sown ones that survived were actually overtaken by those I started off in tubs in the greenhouse in March. I won't waste any space with overwintered ones again although it might work 'darn saarf'

IMO it is not worth doing 'darn saarf' either, i have tried 3 years and the results varied between patchy and disaster.
 Frost , slugs and just rotting off all take their toll , i think the major benefit of autumn sowing is to the seed companies who get to sell them to you twice.

[Fisherman]

I'm in the don't bother camp. Spring sown beans catch up or overtake the winter ones where I am. As there's not much food for wildlife about during winter they get attacked by all sorts unless you can protect them. I do grow brassicas for winter but have to protect them as they get savaged by birds and I notice rabbits are on their way back

[japagow]

I fell for the idea of over wintering broad beans and planted Aquadulce Claudia -  'a broad bean with attitude'- but I won't bother again.

First time planted in November and they grew tall and I knew I was in trouble when the buds started to appear two weeks before the frost turned up and blacked them out.

Second time I planted them In December and field voles dug down to eat the shooting bean and destroy the crop.

In short I learnt  to temper the encouraging advice on the packet - they want you to buy the seeds- with reality.

Best beans I have grown are jubilee hysop (?) from marshalls.

[Kristen]

Aquadulce sown in February for me. I've done the Autumn thing and only a small proportion make it through the Winter IME.

[RichardA]

no way of knowing if I will be sucessfull but I have plans to try aquadulce in the beds that will be spare in the polytunnel over winter and also to start some in pots to plant out in garden in early spring. Will also put some aquadulce in open ground in late Feb early March. Will follow with my usual "the Sutton" and Jubilee Hysor rows both as ex greenhouse started plants and as open sown. That is in North Lincolnshire. -- where we do well for Broad beans and can usually have ground clear early enough for brassica plants, leeks etc to follow by late June early July.
I have never found an autumn sowing to be worth the effort as even if they are a week or so earlier than spring sown, and it is never more than that nor is it ever a heavy crop we will still have BB in the freezer from the main harvest the summer before. Personal experiences only of course.
R

[Pip Judgeford]

Love that autumn sowing in NZ!  I get up to 15 frosts a winter (not more than 4 degrees), and part of my garden has no direct sun for 3 months (thus prolonged chilled soil), and autumn sowing works well with Giant Windsor.  Not bothered by this amount of frost.

This is an NZ heirloom but I'm pretty sure Windsor is a type of BB in UK?  I then sow early spring and 4 weeks after that, for continuous picking.  Giant Windsor comes up in stone cold wet clay soil so its OK by me

Mind you I save my own BB seed, so the tension with some big seed company making $$ off me isnt there so much.  Did I mention we just LOVE our broad beans?

Hey, someone gave me red-flowered broad bean seed recently - is this an NZ freak or does it ring a bell with yous??

-Pip

[Loubs]

The ones we grew back in late oct were our best crop = they just about cropped before the revolting blackfly took hold, which sucked the sap out of the spring sown beans & weakened them horribly.

[8doubles]

The ones we grew back in late oct were our best crop = they just about cropped before the revolting blackfly took hold, which sucked the sap out of the spring sown beans & weakened them horribly.

One of the supposed benifits of autumn sowing is to avoid blackfly. Another myth exploded.

I always pinch out the tips before the blackfly take them over.

[VeggieVirgin]

Thanks for all the advice - I think I'll give the autumn broad beans a miss.

I'm just so impatient to start growing stuff, because I've waited so long for the raised beds and fruit cage to be finished (see below).

I'll content myself with my pak choi and kale seeds instead!