Broad Bean Spacing

[Pescador]

I sowed my first B.Beans of the year yesterday. I always sow a double row22cm apart and 10cm spacing in the row.
Looking at the other plots earlier sowings, I noticed nearly all of them were in single rows and a spacing of 15 to 30cm in the row.

Which spacing would you use?

[Pescador]

[galina]

8 inches or 20 cm - but truthfully, if you measured mine with a ruler, there might be some nearer 30 and others nearer 15cm apart as I planted them by eye not by ruler.

 

[Robert_Brenchley]

I put mine about nine inches apart, but nine inches equals the spread between my thumb and my little finger, regardless of what the ruler says, and I never measure anything accurately.

[Pescador]

I understand what you both are saying, I'm not that specific about measuring, my span is 8'', and my palm is 4''.
But I'm sowing at 4'', and 9'', but you are sowing at 6, 9 and 12''.
I wonder which gives the highest return/sq.m.??

[Robert_Brenchley]

I think 4 inches is a lot too close; it won't allow space for the plants to develop. If you've got space, they move extremely well while they're small.

[chriscross1966]

A bit over a handspan for the longpods, a bit less for the dwarfs... my left hand spans around 9" .....

[Russell]

Two years ago, I tried a bed of broad beans at 5 inches both ways. Yes they were too close but I got a decent crop all the same, they remained in picking condition for quite a while, no weeds got a look in, and when the dreaded black fly appeared they could only find the tips to land on, which I promptly picked off and put in the compost bin. They needed a lot of water, though.
Last year I planted at 7 inches both ways and got a better crop. The rest as above and yes they still needed a lot of water.
This year I'm following Robert Brenchly with a similar 9 inch ruler hoping that the bigger plants will be better able to find water down there maybe the crop will be similar we shall see.
You've got to speculate to accumulate.

[Pescador]

Certainly water requirements will be a major factor with the drier weather and hosepipe bans looming.
I might leave the one double row and do the equivalent area at a lower density and compare yields