Legumes: when to plant them
French beans, peas and broad beans have different windows. French beans want soil that is already warm; peas and broad beans take earlier sowings and, in a mild winter, autumn too.
The legumes on these sheets are French beans, peas and broad beans. They fix nitrogen and, at the end of the crop, are cut at the base so the roots stay in the soil. The calendars do not match: French beans want soil that is already warm, while peas and broad beans take cool weather and, where the winter is mild, autumn too.
French beans are sown once the frost is over. In Umbria the window starts in April, at 10-12 °C, but below 16 °C germination is poor. Peas are sown outdoors from March to June, with the soil at about 10 °C. In Campania the written sowing is October-November or February-March, and above 30 °C the flowers drop. Broad beans are sown from March to early May, and in October or November only in mild spots, with hardy varieties. In Campania they go between November and December; in Sicily, generally, between mid-November and early December. Below 0 °C, in Campania, growth stops. Once the first pods have set, pinch out the tip, so blackfly find less soft growth.
Sodden soil rots the seed and mice look for it: a pot under cover takes it away from both. Depth and supports are on the sheets.
Frequently asked questions
Which of the three is sown first?
Broad beans and peas, not French beans. Peas outdoors start in March, with the soil at about 10 °C. Broad beans from March to early May, and in autumn only where it is mild. French beans wait for the last frost and warm soil: below 16 °C, in Umbria, germination is poor.
Can they be sown in autumn?
Peas and broad beans, where the winter is mild or the spot is sheltered. In Campania peas are sown in October-November and broad beans between November and December. In Sicily broad beans, generally, between mid-November and early December. French beans, no: they want warm soil.
What happens to the plants after harvest?
Cut them at the base and leave the roots, which fix nitrogen. Diseased stems stay off the compost. Rotation with the other families is in the crop-rotation guide.
Why pinch out broad beans?
The RHS does it once the lowest flowers have set small pods. The plant puts its effort into the pods, and the soft tip, where blackfly settle, is gone.
Other categories
- Fruiting vegetables
- Leafy vegetables
- Brassicas
- Roots, bulbs and tubers
- Herbs
- Fruit and melons
- Perennial vegetables
See also: Planting calendar · Guides