Crop timing
When to sow broad beans in the UK
The short answer, on 25 October
Yes, if your garden is mild or sheltered. The RHS sows hardy varieties such as ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ in October or November only in milder parts of the UK or very sheltered, well-drained sites, with fleece ready for cold spells. Elsewhere, wait for spring.
Broad beans are one of the few crops you can sow either side of winter. Autumn sowing gives the earliest pods, but only in milder or sheltered gardens and with a hardy variety. Spring sowing works everywhere.
The broad bean year at a glance
From Vercro's crop catalogue, which follows the RHS: an autumn sowing in October and November for mild, sheltered sites, and a spring sowing outside from March to May, or under cover in February. The catalogue ends picking in July; the RHS says it can run into late summer.
| Window | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn: sow outsideOctober to November | January: no | February: no | March: no | April: no | May: no | June: no | July: no | August: no | September: no | October: yes | November: yes | December: no |
| Autumn: harvestMay to July | January: no | February: no | March: no | April: no | May: yes | June: yes | July: yes | August: no | September: no | October: no | November: no | December: no |
| Spring: sow indoorsFebruary | January: no | February: yes | March: no | April: no | May: no | June: no | July: no | August: no | September: no | October: no | November: no | December: no |
| Spring: sow outsideMarch to May | January: no | February: no | March: yes | April: yes | May: yes | June: no | July: no | August: no | September: no | October: no | November: no | December: no |
| Spring: harvestMay to July | January: no | February: no | March: no | April: no | May: yes | June: yes | July: yes | August: no | September: no | October: no | November: no | December: no |
Growing time in the catalogue: 90 to 180 days from sowing. Family: Fabaceae.
How late frosts run across the UK
What “milder parts of the UK” means in numbers: average days of air frost from November to February, 1996 to 2025. Coastal western stations see a handful of frosty days each month; inland, northern and upland ones see far more.
| Station | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camborne87 m above sea level | 0.2 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 1.8 |
| Valley (Anglesey)10 m above sea level | 0.7 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 4.2 |
| Heathrow25 m above sea level | 2.5 | 6.3 | 7.4 | 5.8 |
| Oxford63 m above sea level | 3.3 | 7.8 | 9.0 | 7.0 |
| Sutton Bonington48 m above sea level | 4.3 | 8.0 | 9.5 | 8.0 |
| Durham102 m above sea level | 4.3 | 9.1 | 9.9 | 8.9 |
| Leuchars10 m above sea level | 6.2 | 11.2 | 11.7 | 9.7 |
| Eskdalemuir242 m above sea level | 8.8 | 13.2 | 14.0 | 13.0 |
What changes the answer
How mild your winter is
Autumn sowing is for milder regions and sheltered sites. Look at your nearest station in the table above.Drainage
The RHS asks for well-drained ground for autumn sowing. Beans in cold, wet soil over winter tend to rot.The variety
Autumn sowing needs a hardy variety sold for it. Other varieties are for spring.Cover
A cloche or fleece through cold spells makes an autumn sowing much safer. So does sowing under cover in February and planting out in spring.
Where the sources differ
Vercro's catalogue and published advice, side by side
On sowing they now agree. Until 19 September 2026 Vercro's catalogue held one outdoor window from October to April, including December and January; it was corrected to follow the RHS: October or November in milder or sheltered sites, then March to May outside, or under cover from February.
One difference remains: the catalogue ends picking in July; the RHS says the harvest can run into late summer.
Common timing mistakes
Autumn sowing on a cold, wet plot
The benefit of an early crop is lost if the seed rots. On heavy or exposed ground, sow in spring instead.Spring varieties in autumn
Only varieties sold for autumn sowing are meant to stand the winter.Sowing everything at once in spring
The RHS sows in batches from March to early May for a longer picking season.Pulling the roots out
After harvest, cut the plants down and leave the roots in the soil to add some nitrogen.
How Vercro handles this in a real garden
In the Vercro Garden plan, broad beans are offered for an empty bed while their catalogue window is open: autumn broad beans in October and November as a crop that stands through winter, spring broad beans from March.
When the beans come out, the bed keeps a record that peas and beans grew there. Vercro's rotation check marks cabbage-family crops sown there soon after as following them well, and suggests peas and beans go elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
Keep going
Where this comes from
Crop windows, growing times and plant families come from Vercro's own curated crop catalogue, the same data the Vercro app uses. Where a published source says something different, we show both rather than choosing the convenient one. Reviewed 19 September 2026.
- Broad beans: grow your own, Royal Horticultural Society. Read 19 September 2026.
- Peas: grow your own, Royal Horticultural Society. Read 19 September 2026.
- Historic station data (monthly air frost days, 1996 to 2025), Met Office, Open Government Licence v3.0. Read 19 September 2026.
Keep autumn and spring sowings apart
Add each sowing to its bed. Vercro keeps them as separate plantings, shows what matters each morning, and remembers where the beans grew.