04 Feb - Sowing Broad Beans

I'm sowing my broad beans early this year - I prefer to sow them in the spring rather than the autumn as there are fewer losses though I can't really call the start of February 'spring'. However, the pressure is on a little this year because, if you have read yesterday's post and my seasonal plan (published Jan 15th), you will know that I'm trying to get my broad beans harvested and cleared by mid-June so I can use the same spot on the plot for leeks. 

I'm sowing the dwarf broad bean 'The Sutton' as the variety crops well and I don't have to bother with sticks and string to keep them upright as they are bushy enough and self-supporting. They always seem to do well for me though, like most broad beans, they benefit by having the tips pinched out as soon as the usual black-fly appears.

Just a note here; if you want fresh broad beans throughout the season then successional sowing (a few new plants every three to four weeks or so) is what is required so you can pick them over a number of months. I like my broad beans as additions to pasta sauces so I like to harvest them over a short period, blanch them and freeze them in one or two sessions. So, I want to plant them all together in the hope they develop and crop at the same time.

This year I'm trying deep root trainers for the first time. Not sure if they will work out or not but they are supposed to be good at developing straight roots and they open up, providing a home-made plug plant that can be potted on or planted with the minimum of root disturbance. The version of root trainer I'm using has eight hinged 'books', each with four modules. The kit comes with a clear propagator type lid and a plastic rack for the books to fit into, allowing them to stand up so they can be used like any other module system. They are re-usable though somewhat delicate, I anticipate that they will last a few seasons if handled carefully before needing to be replaced. Spare book kits are available.

The root trainers were filled with compost easily enough and as the broad beans are large seeds, they were just pushed into the modules with more compost added on top. After a quick water they were put into an electric propagator indoors. The only downside with the root trainer system as that all the books need to be in the rack whether they are being used or not to keep everything rigid. So, as I only ended up sowing 25 seeds I had a few modules spare. As always, I'll let you know how I get on.