- Prepare the bed
- Sow broad beans directly into the bed or prefer them?
- Give the broad beans support
- Maintain broad beans
- The broad bean as fertilizer
Broad beans, also known as broad beans, are not only popular in the Rhineland. They can be dried for months and are a tasty and nutritious addition to a variety of dishes. Learn how to successfully grow broad beans in your garden yourself.
Broad beans can be sown directly into the bed
Prepare the bed
Broad beans are weak consumers and only need a few nutrients. Working compost or fertilizer into the soil only makes sense if the bed is very depleted. And even then, a little compost is enough. So just loosen the soil a little before planting or sowing.
Sow broad beans directly into the bed or prefer them?
If you would like to harvest broad beans earlier, you can grow them at home from the end of January. Not only can you harvest earlier, but you can also be sure that only strong plants come into the bed. However, moving forward means a lot of extra work. Instructions can be found here.
Broad beans can be sown directly into the bed from the end of February. To do this, draw rows about 40 to 60 cm apart. The beans should be sown about 10cm apart. You can also sow more densely and prick out later. Broad beans are sown about 8cm deep into the ground, covered with soil and watered well.
We have created step-by-step instructions for sowing broad beans for you here.
Give the broad beans support
Sometimes hobby gardeners report that the tender stalks of the broad beans break off. To prevent this, you can stretch a rope that the young bean plants can lean on. If you have preferred the broad beans, make sure when planting out that you plant the plants deep enough in the soil and pile them up a little.
Maintain broad beans
Broad beans are relatively undemanding when it comes to caring for them. They need neither climbing aids nor fertilizer. However, they should be watered regularly because they like it moist. A layer of mulch (€239.00) protects them from drying out.
The broad bean as fertilizer
After harvest, cut off the seedlings above the ground and leave the roots in the ground. The nitrogen at the root ends serves as a nutrient for future plant generations. You can also leave the plant remains as mulch on the bed over the winter.