Broad beans can be harvested between May and October, depending on sowing. Learn below how long the growing season for broad beans is and how to tell when it's time to harvest.

Broad beans can be harvested from May depending on sowing

When are broad beans sown?

Broad beans tolerate light frost and can therefore be sown outdoors as early as the end of February. (Detailed information on sowing can be found here.) If you don't mind a little extra work, you can even grow the delicious broad beans at home in mid-January. However, the broad beans can also be sown later. Sowing until mid-April is quite possible.

From seed to fruit

The growing season of broad beans is three and a half to four months, depending on the variety. That means if you sow your broad beans in mid-February, you can start harvesting in mid-June. The harvest usually extends over several weeks. If you don't sow your broad beans until mid-April, the start of the harvest period will be postponed to mid-August.

Recognize when the broad bean is ready to harvest

The broad beans can be harvested when the pods are fully grown, i.e. have reached a length of 15 to 20 cm (depending on the variety). The beans should be soft but thick and the pods should be juicy, green and plump. Each bean should be about the size of a thumbnail.

The disadvantage of a late harvest time

The earlier you sow your broad beans, the better. Broad beans that are sown late and thus harvested late are often infested with black lice. If this happens during the flowering period, the aphids can cause a lot of damage and, in the worst case, the harvest can even fail. Anyone who sows early can usually avoid this problem. If the pests only appear when the plants are already bearing beans, they usually have no effect on the crop yield.

Harvest broad beans

What you need:

  • scissors or a sharp knife
  • a bucket
  • Gloves for sensitive hands

Cut off the ripe beans right at the plant. Leave even thinner pods hanging and harvest them at a later date.

tips

You can blanch or roast broad beans fresh. They taste particularly delicious and only need a very short cooking time.

Category:

Vegetable garden