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When to plant
broad beans in the UK
Pinch out the growing tips once the first pods form to discourage blackfly. They'll also ripen faster.
Work out your own dates
Starts from the recommended sow date for your area. Sowed on a different day, or planted out late? Adjust below and the harvest moves with it.
Using the UK-average last frost · 15 April · add your postcode to tune it
Growing journey
14 weeks from planting out to harvest · Start indoors 6 weeks before planting out
Get broad beans seeds
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What broad beans need
Sun or partial shade. Supports for taller varieties.
Spacing
23cm between plants
Give each plant room to spread. Overcrowding reduces yield.
Varieties worth growing
Aquadulce Claudia
commonThe broad bean your grandparents grew, and their grandparents before them. Sow in autumn, forget about it, and come spring it'll be the smuggest thing in the garden.
Broad bean bruschetta
Double-pod them, blanch for two minutes, then crush roughly with olive oil, lemon zest, pecorino, and a crack of black pepper. Pile onto grilled sourdough.
Broad bean and mint soup
Simmer podded beans with a potato and good stock until tender. Blitz with a handful of fresh mint and a swirl of cream. Spring in a bowl.
The Sutton
commonA dwarf broad bean that tops out at about a foot tall. Perfect for pots, window boxes, and anyone who doesn't want to build scaffolding for their legumes.
Broad bean and bacon salad
Fry lardons until crisp. Toss with double-podded beans, a handful of pea shoots, a squeeze of lemon, and the warm bacon fat as dressing. Simple and devastating.
Crimson Flowered
★ legendaryNearly went extinct in the 1970s until a single packet was found in a Kent seed bank. Deep crimson flowers that stop people mid-path on the allotment. The beans are excellent too, but honestly, you're growing this for the drama.
Broad bean and feta salad
Double-pod the beans, toss warm with crumbled feta, fresh dill, a glug of good olive oil, and a scatter of the crimson flowers on top. Almost too pretty to eat.
Simple buttered broad beans
Double-pod, blanch briefly, then toss in a hot pan with butter, a pinch of flaky salt, and a squeeze of lemon. Let the beans speak for themselves.
Super Aguadulce
uncommonA bigger, more vigorous sibling of Aquadulce Claudia. Longer pods with more beans per pod, and the same excellent autumn-sowing hardiness. For when the classic just isn't enough.
Broad bean and pecorino crostini
Double-pod, blanch, crush half with olive oil and lemon. Spread on crostini, top with whole beans and shaved pecorino. An Italian aperitivo that tastes like spring.
When to sow broad beans
Based on UK average frost date. Enter your postcode for exact dates, or find your city.
Where to buy broad beans seeds
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What you'll need for broad beans
The stuff beginners wish they'd bought sooner.
For support, staking, and building frames. The most versatile length for the plot.
More in our equipment guide →For tying plants to canes and a hundred other jobs. Biodegradable, won't cut into stems.
Pigeons and jays love young bean shoots. Cover with netting until plants are 15cm tall.
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Get your exact dates
Enter your postcode for personalised planting dates for broad beans.