Magical broad beans defy winter weather, so start growing them now | Gardening advice

Mralthough my most recent columns have been about how plants tend to stop growing at this time of year and what to do during the dormant winter period, there are some who – somewhat miraculously – defy these seasonal patterns. One such crop is beans, which I must admit I’m not a big fan of – so I rarely write about them. But I won’t let my own tastes get in the way of sharing these magic beans with you.

Beans – or broad beans – can be grown when warm-weather climbing beans cannot. Hardy varieties – Aquadulce Claudia is a popular choice – can be sown now and will sprout in a few weeks if protected from the elements with a fleece or cloche. If you are based in a colder region, it may be better to wait until early spring to start growing, when you can also choose from a wider range of cultivars, including Sutton Dwarf, that can be grown in containers and small spaces, or Crimson Flowered, which produce deep pink flowers instead of the traditional white and black.

Beans prefer free-draining, fertile soil, and many gardeners sow their beans directly in the ground, but I would start them in pots given how clayey the soil in my plot is. As with all legumes, these crops need room to push their roots down, so root systems (or loo roll tubes) work best. Push the seeds about 5 cm deep and at least 15 cm apart, more if you have chosen a larger variety. They like a sunny, sheltered spot, but require very little other than to be kept out of weed competition and well watered, especially when producing their flowers and pods. Once your legumes are established, they may benefit from the support of a stake, as larger varieties can grow well over a meter tall.

Beans are a fairly trouble-free crop, but you may need to protect your not-yet-germinated seeds from hungry mice. Arriving in spring and summer, sap-sucking aphids—most commonly the black bean aphid—are attracted and can crowd densely on their tender new growth, sometimes stunting the plant’s growth. Fortunately, pinching off new growth is one way to prevent infestation.

These tender tips are delicious in a salad or lightly sauteed. Beans sown in autumn may start producing pods by May, while those sown and grown from early spring will produce a crop in summer. You can harvest bean pods at two stages: when they are immature to eat whole, or when the pods are slightly swollen – the beans harvested from them will be sweet and tender.

Another magical thing about broad beans is that they are good for the soil, so when the crop is down, cut the plant back but leave the roots in the ground where they will increase nitrogen levels for the crop that follows.