Soya beans
How to Grow Soya Beans in the UK Soya beans provide plump green edamame or mature beans for drying, depending on when you harvest. In the UK, warmth and variety choice matter. Try a small crop in your sunniest position and keep plants growing steadily as their furry pods fill. Warm season annual Choose an […]
Winter Peas
How to Grow Winter Peas in the UK Winter peas are hardy garden peas started in autumn and carried through the cold months for an early crop the following year. They can be worthwhile in a sheltered garden, but they need a realistic plan for wet soil, mice and winter protection. Expect pods in spring […]
Mangetout
How to Grow Mangetout in the UK Mangetout are peas grown for their tender, flat pods, picked before the seeds inside become prominent. They make a useful crop for a small vegetable patch because the whole young pod goes into the kitchen. Choose a height you can support, sow in manageable batches and pick frequently […]
Peanut
How to Grow Peanuts in the UK Peanuts are an absorbing crop to try in a warm greenhouse or conservatory. The yellow flowers appear above ground, but the pods develop below it after slender pegs push into the soil. In the UK, treat Arachis hypogaea as an experimental annual rather than a dependable outdoor food […]
Peas
How to Grow Peas in the UK Freshly picked peas are one of the pleasures of a summer vegetable patch. Choose shelling peas for the seeds inside, mangetout for flat edible pods, or sugarsnaps for juicy rounded pods eaten whole. All are forms of the edible garden pea, Pisum sativum. With suitable supports, steady moisture […]
Beans (Borlotti)
How to Grow Borlotti Beans in the UK Borlotti beans reward a patient gardener with colourful pods and creamy, speckled seeds for the kitchen. They are forms of Phaseolus vulgaris, the same species as French beans, usually grown for the beans inside mature pods. Choose a dwarf or climbing selection before planning the bed, and […]
Beans (Broad)
How to Grow Broad Beans in the UK Broad beans are a useful early crop for UK gardens, filling a gap before summer beans begin. They are Vicia faba, a different species from French and runner beans, and suit cooler growing conditions. Choose a spring sowing for a straightforward start, or try a hardy autumn […]
Beans (French)
How to Grow French Beans in the UK French beans provide tender summer pods from either compact bushes or tall climbing plants. Both are Phaseolus vulgaris, but their space and harvesting needs differ. Dwarf beans fit containers and short cropping slots; climbers take longer to establish and then reward regular picking over a longer period. […]
Beans (Runner)
How to Grow Runner Beans in the UK Runner beans bring colourful flowers and long summer pods to vegetable plots and large planters. Most climb strongly, while a few stay compact. Ordinary runners are Phaseolus coccineus; some modern varieties include French bean parentage. Give them warmth to establish, steady moisture and regular picking. Summer picking […]
Butter Bean
How to Grow Butter Beans in the UK This guide covers the true butter or lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus, grown for its shelled seeds. Some white runner beans are also sold as butter beans, but they are Phaseolus coccineus. True limas need sustained warmth, so treat them as a small UK trial rather than a […]
