Sow broad beans

DID you forget to sow this legume in autumn? Never mind, you can catch up! Broad beans are incredibly hardy (seeds can germinate in soil temperatures of 8°C/46°F) so while you could sow directly into the soil in March, you’ll get an even earlier crop by sowing into pots under cover now.

Only gentle bottom heat is needed in a frost-free greenhouse (heat mats are ideal, because broad beans do better when not covered in a propagator lid). Sow an early-maturing variety such as ‘De Monica’ or ‘Express’ into large, deep pots (one seed per pot). Don’t splash out on seed compost – multipurpose is fine for these large-seeded brutes.

They’ll germinate in 10 days, and then you can switch off the heat mat and grow on the seedlings until early March, when they’re ready to transplant outside.

By sowing an early broad bean variety now, you can be picking pods by May