[Njerowles]

Hello. I have just got a polytunnel and planted some broad beans in November inside.
I am worried that I will get a poor harvest if the flowers are not pollinated by the bees. Is this likely to be a problem and what can I do to get a better crop?
Cheers, Nick

[snowdrops]

Once they start to flower you could leave the door open to allow pollinating insects in to do their business.

[Jamrock]

Unusual crop to plant indoors I must say

There may be very few bees around when they first start to flower (due to the increased warmth in your polytunnel they will flower earlier than if planted outdoors) so you may find yourself with a fairly small harvest

[GrannieAnnie]

One year I had some broad bean seeds over and sowed them in a little raised bed I made in my polytunnel.

They did really well!

There isn't much you can't grow in a tunnel or greenhouse, and the way our weather is going, I think more and more things will be grown under glass or plastic, and all the water outside will be collected, then piped into the GH's so the plants don't rot like many have done for the past couple of years!

[sunshineband]

Broad beans do seem to do Ok under cover. I grew some last year, 3 per 12ins pot at home in my greenhouse and they cropped heavily.

I didn't notice insects in there but something 'did the job' 

[Jamrock]

Yes but did either of you start this early with them?

You will get a crop no doubt but might not be the largest

I have grown Broad beans outside for the last 3 years and they have given me no reason to think about moving them in to take up my valuable tunnel space! Don't get me wrong if I had the time money and space I would have a huge tunnel but whilst my space is limited I have to prioritise what goes inside

[sunshineband]

Yes but did either of you start this early with them?

You will get a crop no doubt but might not be the largest

I have grown Broad beans outside for the last 3 years and they have given me no reason to think about moving them in to take up my valuable tunnel space! Don't get me wrong if I had the time money and space I would have a huge tunnel but whilst my space is limited I have to prioritise what goes inside

I sowed them on 3rd Jan last year

This did not replace my outdoor crops, but gave me earlier beans to give  alonger succession

[Jamrock]

Fair play, did you find the harvests to be of similar size for indoor and outdoor plantings?

[sunshineband]

Very similar tbh in terms of number of beans per pod and number of pods

Indoors looked much cleaner though as outdoors they got rather mud splashed lower donw on the plant

Didn't let the indoor beans get as large as the ones outside, as we couldn't wait to eat them 

Variety was Giant Exhibition Longpod

[Jamrock]

That surprises me but I stand corrected!

Bunnyards Exhibition has been the tastiest I have grown so far, I grew Sutton 2 years back but found them quite bitter in comparison

[GrannieAnnie]

My indoor ones were sowed later as they were the ones I didn't have room for in the veg patch.  I don't like BB's personally, but I grow them for OH!

[Njerowles]

Thanks for the advice guys. The beans are not very big yet so I just hope there are bees about when they are in flower. I will definitely open the doors when they start to flower. I will also plant some marigolds and other annual flowers to draw in the pollinators.

Cheers, Nick