[Kajazy]

If I'm starting off my broad beans indoors, do they need to go into long pots (like root trainers or, in my case, loo rolls!), or can they go into ordinary modules?

Thank you!

[DD.]

Personally, I wouldn't start them indoors at all. You could well end up with weak & leggy plants.

I'd go for modules outside, but out of reach of mice.

[Kajazy]

Ok - even though there's heavy frost forecast for us most of next week? Should I put them in a cold frame or similar?

[DD.]

Cold frame would be good. They certainly don't need the heat of a house.

Broad beans can sit through far worse frosts than those forecast.

[Kajazy]

Thank you! How nice not to have to worry about the weather for a change!

[Aidy]

The Terry Walton way is a good one and I have used it for a few years now.

Pop the beans into a bag of moist (not wet) compost, leave somewhere warmish, after a few days take a peek and look for the spruts coming out of the bean, once they have sprutted then pop into your pots and do as DD says.

[Salmo]

If you want to make sure they start germination sow them in modules indoors or in a greenhouse. As soon as they appear put them outside. Do not wait until the leaves open or they will get leggy and frost prone.

[sunshineband]

If you want to make sure they start germination sow them in modules indoors or in a greenhouse. As soon as they appear put them outside. Do not wait until the leaves open or they will get leggy and frost prone.

This is what I am doing this year, as mice had so many meals from y bean seeds last year at the plot

[shokkyy]

This is what I am doing this year, as mice had so many meals from y bean seeds last year at the plot

Mice are really very unpredictable creatures, aren't they. They drive me insane eating all my strawberries, carrots and parsnips, yet last year I sowed all my broad bean and pea and mangetout seeds directly into the beds and the mice never touched them. I had 100% germination on the broad beans and very high on the pea/mangetout, so they couldn't have had any of them.

[tallulah]

Great advice from people.  I'm shall follow this myself, and look forward to some early beans  .  Just need to get my seeds now!

[annie b]

i planted the first lot of this year's broad bean production last weekend and they';re in the dining room which is very cool.I always do them like this and then plant out....has worked well so far....

[Growster...]

We found some in the new Patch shed, and after chucking them (didn't know what they were, or how old they were either), I discovered them growing happily in the compost! So they went in the bed as youngsters!

Last week, the emerging ones had loads of spaces, so they've been moved around (again), to make one full row.

Maybe got it wrong, but they cost nothing, and Mrs G is complaining that we still have several pounds in the freezer from last year...

[sunshineband]

If you want to make sure they start germination sow them in modules indoors or in a greenhouse. As soon as they appear put them outside. Do not wait until the leaves open or they will get leggy and frost prone.

This is what I am doing this year, as mice had so many meals from y bean seeds last year at the plot

Have three little knuckles up this morning so will have to plan where th epots are going soon--- thinking of the cold (very cold!) minitunnel at the plot perhaps