Broad beans have got to be one of my all-time favourite crops. They taste delicious, they are easy to grow and they provide an abundant harvest time and time again.
I planted two varieties, “Red Epicure” and “Bunyards Exhibition,” in my kitchen garden area back in November 2023 and they did not disappoint. I kept them fleeced during any colder spells and they ended up taller than me by the following June, with hundreds of delicious beans to harvest!
I think my success here came down to the early sowing, which gave them lots of time to establish a strong root system, before really getting growing in the spring. However, it is worth bearing in mind that an earlier sowing does require more input from us gardeners, as despite their incredible capacity to withstand winter weather, down to an icy minus 10°C, I did find it best to fleece them when it was really cold, to avoid too many blackened leaves.
A full video on how to sow, grow and harvest broad beans can be found on my YouTube channel @sundaysinthegarden.
