How late can you drill winter beans?

snarling bee

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Bedfordshire
As title, probably been covered before, but a refresh won't do any harm in the current weather pattern.
As with all later drillings vs spring drilling, seed availability is relevant.
 

Bovril

Member
Arable Farmer
I've got cleaned wizzard fss in bags. It will be going in. Don't know when, don't really care. I don't want to leave the field fallow, so will drill in april if I have to. They might not produce a harvest-able crop but will be a very cheap cover crop. Beans are good for the soil, can't see why they won't grow if you sow them anytime throughout the year. Spring bean seed will be very expensive...
 

Tractor Boy

Member
Location
Suffolk
PGRO put a flier out the other day with details of how what they’d found after 2012. Basically if you plant them Feb-April you need to use a spring seed rate. They will yield approx 10-20% less than a spring variety drilled at the same time and harvest will most likely be 7-14 days later than a spring variety drilled on the same day.
But if like me you have the winter bean seed then I would just grow them cheaply rather than trying to source non existent expensive spring seed.
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
PGRO put a flier out the other day with details of how what they’d found after 2012. Basically if you plant them Feb-April you need to use a spring seed rate. They will yield approx 10-20% less than a spring variety drilled at the same time and harvest will most likely be 7-14 days later than a spring variety drilled on the same day.
But if like me you have the winter bean seed then I would just grow them cheaply rather than trying to source non existent expensive spring seed.

This. There is no vernalisation requirement for beans so March would be the latest I'd sow but as you say, up the seed rate. You want 25 plants/m2 from an October sown crop but twice that from a March sown one.
 

Fish

Member
Location
North yorkshire
I've drilled wizard in spring, April 15, a very heavy wet field. DD with a Simtech, we kept the seed rate up and was a good crop, but very late to harvest, finished in the dark on bonfire night watching fire works in the distance.
 

Simon Chiles

DD Moderator
I've drilled wizard in spring, April 15, a very heavy wet field. DD with a Simtech, we kept the seed rate up and was a good crop, but very late to harvest, finished in the dark on bonfire night watching fire works in the distance.

I’ve also drilled wizard mid April, harvested them mid September, as I’ve said on here often enough it’s the weather throughout the growing season that dictates harvest date not the time of sowing.
 

RAF

Member
Location
staffs
So sowing in spring would be fine , tried today on heavy land with a tine drill it wasn’t pretty , thinking ploughing and leaving for frost . Then drill in March . Tundra
 

GeorgeK

Member
Location
Leicestershire
So sowing in spring would be fine , tried today on heavy land with a tine drill it wasn’t pretty , thinking ploughing and leaving for frost . Then drill in March . Tundra
You're not alone, had a go myself today with the same results. Too wet already on the heavy stuff to be dragging a tine through at 6" deep. Might consider broadcasting and ploughing instead, will mull it over tomorrow
 

RAF

Member
Location
staffs
It’s a sub disc conversion . Just leaving big lumps and struggling pull it spinning all the time . Can’t bring myself to maul it in.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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