Plant: March to May, or autumn
Harvest: June to September, or spring
Broad beans are hardy, resilient members of the bean family; it's possible to grow a great many varieties of bean in the UK - they're not that fussy about the climate.
A low maintainance crop, you can pretty much forget about them for a while and be surprised by plenty of beans a couple of months down the line.
Sowing
Most varieties of broad beans should be planted between March and May, though there are varieties that are planted in autumn for Spring harvesting.
They need well dug and manured, pH neutral or limed soil. The soil should have been well dug in advance - a couple of months ahead, preferably - with some manure or other organic matter.
Broad beans can be grown in the same conditions that you'll use to grow ther types of beans and peas, so it may be worthwhile just leaving a section of the soil you prepare for these vegetables aside for a small crop.
Soak your seeds in water, and dig shallow drills - an inch or so deep - and sow the seeds one inch apart, singly.
Growing
The beans work well with some kind of support, so plant next to a fence or wall trellis. If the variety grows taller than one metre, tie the beans when they reach around 60cm to provide extra climbing support. They're not the most decorative of plants, so you may want to keep them away from your flower beds.
You don't need to feed the beans as they grow as they take nitrogen from the air and return it to the soil.
Pinch off shoots near the tops of the plants to encourage growth further down.
Harvesting
You can harvest the tips of the shoots when they're young and eat them as a spring green veg.
Harvest the beans when the pods are fat; this should take a couple of months, so harvest time is June to September. Enjoy with liver and a nice chianti.
Varieties to try
- Aquadulce Claudia - sow in autumn, harvest in spring
- The Sutton - dwarf variety, good for small gardens
- Express - tender, tasty beans that freeze well
- Bunyards Exhibition - sow in spring or autumn. Tasty, sweet beans make this a popular variety
