[Sweet Pea 2]

I have planted my broad beans and overwintering onions today.  I have fleeced the board beans, is there any benefit of doing this?  Is there anything else I should be doing?  I have done nothing with the onions.

[texas_gardenia]

I'm glad you asked this, Sweet Pea. I am curious as to the answers also.

[barbarella]

I sowed my broad beans, The Sutton, a couple of weeks ago and they are up already.  I haven't used fleece the last two autumns (since I got my allotment) and they were fine.  I sowed Aquadulce Claudia last year and they came through the really cold weather, frost and snow with no protection on a fairly exposed site, though it is relatively mild on the Bristol Channel coast.  I would have thought anywhere in the South, you could get away with it.  I don't know about onion seeds, but sets overwinter fine here as well.   

[Elcie]

That variety is a winter hardy variety so shouldn't need fleece.  In fact, it may suffer from too much molly-coddling.

[barbarella]

That variety is a winter hardy variety so shouldn't need fleece.  In fact, it may suffer from too much molly-coddling.

I agree

[sunshineband]

I'm not putting fleece on mine -- The Sutton is about 3 ins tall already and looking good.

Senn them with snow on so I guess they'll cope 

[Sweet Pea 2]

So I guess the same for Aquadulce Claudia as well, no fleece.

[Salmo]

They should be OK without fleece but I would keep a cover of some sort on to protect from birds.

Rooks an pheasants sometimes pull the young plants out as they come through. They do not eat them, I think they hope a juicy worm will come up with the bean. Once they are through and the leaves are expanded they seem to be left alone. I use some chicken wire., fleece will do the same job.

[Sweet Pea 2]

OK then,  I will leave them with the fleece on for now.  When they get to a reasonable size I will remove it.   

[Potiron]

My Broad Beans have now gotten quite tall, should I pinch out the tops to encourage some side shoot growth?   

[cawdor2001]

i agree with Salmo, mine have been pulled out in the past, have fleeced mine now as they are just coming through, will remove the fleece when they egt a bit better established.

Cawdor

[sunshineband]

My Broad Beans have now gotten quite tall, should I pinch out the tops to encourage some side shoot growth?   

I wouldn't. If it were me I'd leave them until they have several rows of flower buds and then pinch them out so they don't get blackfly on them -- it's be next spring though 

[Kristen]

I to wouldn't pinch them out until after they have set flowers

[Leedsniner]

I've started my broadbeans under net cloches which gives them a sporting chance up here where we have quite nasty winters.