Broad Beans
Have a distinctive nutty flavor and can
be served either boiled, in sauces, sautéed, cold in salads, or green
beans, slicing pod and all before seeds fill out. Some people also cook
the tips of the plants.
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Requirements to Grow Broad Beans
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Broad beans are one of the few vegetables
that show a preference for clay soils but still do reasonably well in
loamy soils, even in nearly pure sand. However, they need good drainage
and preferably full sunlight.
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Planting time for Growing Broad Beans
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Because of their need to set pods during
moderately mild conditions, broad beans are sown in warm to
semi-tropical districts during autumn to mature during the mild month
and in cold districts late autumn-early winter to mature when spring
nights are losing their chill.
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Late autumn is a good planting time in
most temperate districts. They take 4-5 months to mature. It is common
practice to pinch out the tips once flowering commences to induce the
setting of pods. This may have some slight effect but has little
bearing on the overall crop that forms when temperatures are suitable.
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Cultivation for Broad Beans
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Prepare the soil with complete plant food
and lime as suggested for French beans. Broad beans do well when
planted in sets of double rows with about 25 cm between them, and if
growing large quantities allow about 1 m between each set of rows.
Space the seeds about 15 cm apart approximately 3 cm deep in heavy
moist soil and about 5 cm in light soils. Allow the soil to dry out to
about 2 cm below the surface between soakings.
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A light scattering of complete plant food
on either side of the rows when the plants are about half-grown, or as
flowering commences, is beneficial in light sandy soils, but in heavy
soils the initial preparation suggested should be sufficient when
prolonged rain has been experienced.
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