A Broad Bean Experiment

The last week hasn’t been anything special weather-wise for the middle of August. It’s been cloudy with temperatures hovering around average. However, we haven’t had any rain which is good in some respects, allowing us to get out and about, but the allotment could do with some good rain.

Temperature & Rainfall Records 01-15 August 2021

We are trying some autumn cropping broad beans again this year. Last year I bought some plants but they didn’t arrive until the end of August and they never managed to get established before the weather turned very autumnal. The plants were on the leggy side when they arrived which didn’t help. 

Last year's broad beans were planted on 20 August 2020

So this year I decided to try growing the same variety from seed. The variety is Luz de Otono. I sowed them on 3rd July almost as soon as suggested on the seed packet. They germinated well and were growing outside in the cold frame at home.

Plants were grown at home in 2021

They were planted out in the allotment a few weeks ago now, and having got established are beginning to flower. Last year at this time we were still waiting for the plants to be delivered, so this year’s plants are a few weeks in front, but will it be enough.

Beginning to flower on 15th August 2021

As it happens one of our plot neighbours has sown some normal broad beans, probably around the same time as our autumn cropping broad beans were sown. This will be an interesting comparison to see if either crop goes on to produce some beans.

Normal broad bean seeds sown to crop in autumn

There’s a video below showing both broad beans in each plot in the middle of August.

Copyright: Original post from A Gardener's Weather Diary http://ossettweather.blogspot.co.uk/ author M Garrett