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VegetablesHardyAnnual
Broad Bean
Broad bean is a hardy legume suited to cool weather and early sowing, producing sturdy plants and heavy flushes of large pods in late spring and early summer. It is one of the best crops for getting a substantial harvest before the main heat of summer.
Basic information
Category
Vegetables
Lifecycle
Annual
Hardiness
Hardy
Planting partners
2 companions · 5 crops to avoid
Growth profile
Days to harvest
90 days
Germination window
7–14 days
Germination temperature
5–18 °C
Plant spacing
20 cm
Row spacing
45 cm
Sowing depth
5 cm
Height
100 cm
Spread
20 cm
Calendar
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Flowering / Harvest
Timings based on average frost dates in the UK. Sign up to set your frost dates.
Care tips
Support tall varieties where needed, keep the bed watered as pods develop, and pinch out the soft top growth once lower trusses have set to discourage blackfly. Harvest before the seeds become starchy if you want the sweetest broad beans for the kitchen.
Common pests
Black bean aphid, pea and bean weevil, chocolate spot, slugs.
