Broad Beans- Masterpiece Green Longpod

Broad Bean Seedlings just bursting through, except the four on the left, which are peas

Broad Bean seedlings all lush and green, and nibbled by something.  Except the four on the right, which are still peas

I love a good Broad Bean.  Its quite possibly my favourite vegetable.  At university they were a staple bit of greenery in my not overly healthy diet as unlike many other vegetables, frozen ones are still more than edible.  Ever tried a frozen sprout?  Don’t do it, soggy and tasteless, no wonder people don’t like them.  I regularly used to heat up a whole bowl full and munch on them like fleshy nuts while I was waiting for the rest of my dinner to cook.  Odd I know, but there we are.  So when at Chelsea last year (sorry to bang on about it yet again) It was one seed I made sure to stock up on.

I sowed my beans in late March time maybe?  The details are fuzzy but I definitely got them in quick.  One bean per cell in a growing tray, pushed it down an inch, covered it over and done.  I heard recently on Gardener’s World the bigger the seed the deeper you want to plant them, and they don’t get much bigger than a broad bean so I guess you stuff them in deep.  

Based on my general level of success on growing from seed this year (poor) I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had only had one bean come up but luckily, my favourite bean didn’t disappoint me and the entire tray germinated except for one.  In total I sowed 24 beans and got 20 germinate.  I have never grown broad beans before but I would definitely recommend it, they are just so satisfying.  They sprout really green and fleshy and the seedlings are wondrously solid and lush.  Unlike peppers or sweet peas that throw up a skinny shoot which more often than not goes on to wither and die in an incredibly frustrating manner, there was never any doubt about these.  Once they were up they would be surviving, no questions asked.  A little frost protection on the coldest nights but then who doesn't like being tucked up in the warm.  They also grow like weeds and after a couple of weeks you have a proper little plant.  They have been doing some serious growing since I got them into my pea patch and currently stand at about 4 foot tall.

The variety I plumped for was ‘Masterpiece Green Longpod’ from Mr Fothergill’s.  They were doing an offer so that’s where most of my seeds came from last year.  I would like to say I was drawn to the ‘great flavour’ but actually it’s the words ‘reliable’ and ‘high yields’ that sold me.  In my book there is no point growing a fantastic tasting bean if you only get like 5 off the plant, or they don’t even come up.  Im looking for returns for my effort.  Obviously having yet to sample any I cannot report on flavour but when I do, I will let you know.

So keen on this bean am I that I have already sown another batch which have obviously come up before Im ready for them, as we are currently fully booked in the pea patch.

Look at them, they so want to grow