Turnips and Broad Beans...

Tootles

Morning - i planted some little turnips after an episode of Gardeners World later on in the season, on the advice of Monte. They are doing well outside in their bed, but do I need to out a clouche over them as it gets colder? There is no sign of any turnip formation yet, but the leaves look very healthy.

Also, I'm having a go at broad beans. My spring planting season were a disaster, down to the manure in the bed I think. I've had a go at Autumn sowings and they have started to show through the soil. Do I need to put a clouche over these?

Thanks! 

Dovefromabove

Tootles

I sow broad beans Aquadulce Claudia outside in October every year and they never need protection even if they're under snow for weeks on end - some other varieties might be a little more tender - which ones have you sown?

I've only ever grown turnips as a summer crop.  I think the idea of an autumn sowing is to grow them quicly and harvest them before winter.

Steve 309

Certainly agree about broad beans.  A.C. are completely hardy and need no cloche.  Might be useful for the next sowing in February though.

Zoomer44

I'm glad you asked the 'Q' Tootles. I sowed some broad beans...a dwarf variety - The Sutton...in pots. They are currently in a plastic GH and looking good with shoots 3-4 inches high.

I'm not sure whether to plant them out. We've had some frosts, early mornings. The plan was to plant half out now and leave half in their pots, to plant out in the Spring. Is this a good plan and those planted out, will they need protection?  

I've also got celriac in the ground, sown a little later than it should have been, possibly June/July time with healthy foilage but little bulb growth. Is it likely to put on any more growth this yr and if not will it put on growth in the Spring to be harvested later?