Did you know that the broad bean is one of the oldest agricultural vegetables? It was already cultivated in the Neolithic period. It is rich in protein and carbohydrates and supplies the soil and neighboring plants with nitrogen. Learn how to grow the broad bean in your garden below.
How to grow broad beans in the garden?
Broad beans are sown at the end of February to mid-March at a depth of 8-12 cm in a sunny location and loose soil. Observe crop rotation and maintain planting distances of 10-20 cm. Harvest time is after approx. 100 days. Good neighbors are oats, savory, potatoes, nasturtiums, turnips and spinach.
When should broad beans be planted?
Broad beans, also known as broad beans or broad beans, are surprisingly cold-resistant and are therefore one of the plants that you can sow before the ice saints. The end of February to mid-March is a good time to sow the beans - as long as it is no longer permanently frosty. It's even better if you grow the broad beans at home (from mid-February) and then plant the young plants in the bed in March. This way you can harvest even earlier.
Tip
Don't sow your broad beans too late, as they will then be more likely to be infested with lice.
Location, spacing and sowing depth
Broad beans, like all types of beans, need sun to produce plenty of beans. In addition, the soil should be loose and not too moist. The most important thing for a rich harvest is crop rotation. Legumes should only be planted in one location every four to five years. So you should change the location of your beans from year to year.
Broad beans are sown very deep at 8 to 12cm. Although broad beans can grow up to 2 meters high, they don't need too much space or climbing aid. Depending on the variety, a planting distance of 10 to 20cm is recommended. For more detailed information, see the seed packet.
Good neighbors
Anyone who cleverly combines plants in the vegetable garden increases the harvest yield and protects the plants from pests and diseases. This is how oats protect your broad beans from lice. Other good neighbors are:
- Savory
- Potatoes
- Nasturtium
- Beets
- Spinach
You should not combine your broad beans with:
- other types of beans
- Peas
- Fennel
- Sunflowers
- Onion family
When is harvest time?
The harvest time obviously depends on the sowing date, but in general broad beans have a development time of around 100 days. So after a little over three months you can harvest your broad beans.
All information at a glance
- Sowing time: February/March
- Location: sunny, no compost, no waterlogging
- Planting distance: 10 to 20m
- Row spacing: 40 to 60cm
- Sowing depth: 8 to 12cm
- Observe crop rotation and planting neighbors!
