[Silkworm]

Evening All,
Do any of you grow Bunyard's Exhibition broad beans and if so do you ever Autumn plant?

Silky 

[gremlin]

Yes..........and No 

I would normally sow in February, but with the soil as wet as it is I might have wait a few weeks more. I sow in the soil, plus 10% more in pots at the same time to use later to fill in any gaps.

I'm not saying you cant sow in autumn. I just don't.

[BabbyAnn]

Once - and they were the best crop of broad beans.  I built wind breaks round the bed which worked a treat.  However, in recent years, the harsh winters of snow and ice was too much for any broad bean variety and I stopped sowing in autumn .... and now I wish I had last year given how mild this winter has been so far 

[Growster...]

I've never found it's worth the hassle of tending beans over the winter months, just to get them a couple of weeks earlier - even if they do appear earlier, when cropping starts.

The spring sown ones usually get away quickly, according to the weather of course, and they'll be sitting in drying beds, rather than dreading the winter months!

I start them in pots as well now, as they fire up pretty well in the greenhouse and after a few days hardening off, they're in their rows and fine and dandy! We also sow them in succession, as some rows will inevitably do better than others!

Bunyards Exhibition are one of the best with us!

[Nobbie]

For me it's a way of getting one job out of the way in autumn when the soil is ok to walk on. Most of the problems I've seen people have is when they sow in pots in autumn inside and then plant out soft leggy plants that get battered. My autumn sown beans are still only  a couple of inches high despite the mild weather.

[BabbyAnn]

My autumn sown beans are still only  a couple of inches high despite the mild weather.

  and that's how you really want them - when they are tall and leggy, they can get thrashed in high winds and be prone to all sorts of diseases as a result.  When spring arrives, that's when they'll really put growth on and flower a lot earlier than spring sown

[Silkworm]

Thanks for all your reply's, just hope this damned weather gets better soon, itching to get back on the lotty and get things done.

Silky 

[peedee555]

i spring sowed bunyards last year i lost some not many tho just resowed the gaps had different sizes of plants that flowered at different times which worked well ( even tho i didnt plan it that way ) my plot neighhbour autumn sowed and to be honest we were both cropping at the same time

[BabbyAnn]

i spring sowed bunyards last year i lost some not many tho just resowed the gaps had different sizes of plants that flowered at different times which worked well ( even tho i didnt plan it that way ) my plot neighhbour autumn sowed and to be honest we were both cropping at the same time

and I remember winter didn't let go until very very late last year so would have had an impact on a lot of crops.  Some years you win, some you lose - with all weather, it's just so damn unpredictable LOL

[strangerachael]

I usually do some in the autumn, some more in the spring. Last autumn's are currently doing pretty well, a few inches high so not minding the wind too much, and my soil is quite free-draining so the wet is not a problem for them either. They are not Bunyards though, not really sure what they are, saved from last year's. It is much too wet to do any digging though, and I didn't do any before Christmas so I am very behind