My Tiny PlotPlanting Out Broadbeans
I planted out my Broadbeans (Fava Beans) this week. I had started them off from seed about three or four weeks ago in these biodegradable pots. I just popped the whole thing in the ground and tucked them in. Nice and easy.
The roots were just about popping out from the bottom of the pots so it was a timely re-plant.
I do like the vibrant green of the Broadbean seedling. It’s a great foil to the cold and wet grey days we’ve been having here. And it feels good to get that much of the garden ‘planted up’. The variety is Windsor.
Although, the size of yeild compared to the ground space they use up is quite low, that doesn’t matter because Broadbeans are a great early cropping plant. Soon enough they will be gone and composted to make room for a later crop like sweetcorn, Tomatoes, or Pumpkin. They definitely earn their keep in my garden.
S’funny that – broadbeans are a winter crop here – and the yield is fantastic. I can harvest them right up to December / January of the next year.
I’ve also just planted my broadbeans… :)
Love your blog, Gillian, and welcome to Portland! Thought you might be interested in an event coming up on the evening of April 18 called “Beautiful Beans: Grow. Cook. Eat.” that’ll feature my favorite PDX bean-ophiles. More info here: http://pdxca.org/upcoming-events/
Best,
Kathleen
Broad beans are one of the easiest plants to grow providing the soil is free draining and never waterlogged.
It’s a good idea to dig in some organic matter, such as compost, in the autumn before sowing the beans in the ground to make sure you get a bumper crop.