How to Grow Broad Bean
'Aquadulce Claudia' from Seed
The autumn-sown broad bean that overwinters and gives you tender pods in June, three weeks ahead of any spring sowing. RHS Award of Garden Merit.
Some vegetables reward planning ahead, and this is the best of them. Sown in October or November while everything else is winding down, 'Aquadulce Claudia' sits through winter growing slowly, then gives you tender pods the following June, a full three weeks before any spring sowing could manage.
It holds an RHS Award of Garden Merit, with long pods of 20cm and more, each holding six to eight white seeds, on upright plants around a metre tall. The white seeds cook softer and milder than green-seeded varieties. It can also be sown in late winter and spring.
Quick Facts at a Glance
Crop Type
Hardy longpod broad bean, RHS AGM
Sowing Time
Oct to Nov · Feb to Apr
Harvest
June to August
Height
Around 1m
Spacing
20cm
Difficulty
1 out of 5, very easy
Understanding the Crop
'Aquadulce Claudia' is a heritage longpod variety of Vicia faba. The name is Spanish-Italian for sweetwater, but it is thoroughly British in habit, and it is the standard choice for overwintering because of its winter hardiness.
Like all legumes, broad beans fix nitrogen in their roots. After harvest, cut the plants off at ground level and leave the roots in the soil to feed the next crop.
Pinch out the tops
Once the lowest pods start to set, pinch out the top 10cm of each plant. This pushes energy into the pods and removes the soft tips blackfly go for. The pinched tips are worth steaming and eating.
When & How to Sow
Sow direct in October or November for the earliest crop, or from February to April for a later one.
Stop the mice
Mice will dig up autumn-sown seed given the chance. If you have them, lay chicken wire flat over the row until the seedlings are through.
Prepare the bed. Choose a sunny, sheltered spot with well-drained soil. Avoid ground that sits wet in winter.
Sow in double rows. Sow 5cm deep and 20cm apart in double rows 20cm apart, leaving about 60cm between each pair of rows.
Protect and wait. Cover against mice. Autumn-sown seed germinates in two to three weeks and the young plants sit quietly through winter.
Support in spring. Put a cane at each corner of the double row and run string around at 30cm and 60cm to hold plants upright.
Growing On Tips
Winter hardy
Young plants stand through normal British winters. Fleece helps in very hard frost.
Canes and string
Support stops plants flopping in spring winds once pods load up.
Pinch and eat
Pinch out tops as pods set and steam the tips as a spring green.
Water at flowering
Water in dry spring spells once flowers appear to help pods set.
Bumblebee crop
The scented early flowers are a valuable food for bumblebees.
Leave the roots
Cut plants off at ground level after harvest so roots return nitrogen to the soil.
Common Problems & How to Fix Them
| Problem | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Seeds dug up, gaps in row | Mice | Lay chicken wire over the row until germination. |
| Black insects on shoot tips | Blackfly | Pinch out tops as pods set and remove infested tips. |
| Brown spots on leaves | Chocolate spot | Space plants well and avoid wet, poorly drained ground. |
| Notched leaf edges | Pea and bean weevil | Usually cosmetic on established plants. Keep young plants growing well. |
| Plants blown over | No support | Put in canes and string in early spring. |
When to Harvest
Autumn sowings crop from June, and spring sowings follow into July and August. Pick pods when the beans show as bulges but before the pods go leathery, when the beans inside are about thumbnail size.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌱 Sow direct | ||||||||||||
| 🫘 Harvest |
Crop Specifications
The first harvest of the year
Sow this autumn, protect from mice, and next June you will be picking long pods of soft, white-seeded beans from ground that was empty all winter.
Shop Aquadulce Claudia Seeds →