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Sowing broad beans in autumn: site, drainage, mice

Updated: 21 October 2026

You want broad beans early, and October already feels soon. Sowing broad beans in autumn is right only for a hardy variety such as Aquadulce, on a mild, sheltered, well-drained site. Wet soil, wind, mice or a runner packet means you do not sow that way. The RHS names Aquadulce for November. Leftover seed can still go in during spring, because broad beans do not need a winter chill to flower. Packets and prices are on the [bean seeds comparison](/hub/herb-seeds/bean-seeds). Why a runner is the wrong species this month is on [broad beans vs runner beans](/hub/herb-seeds/bean-seeds/sub/bean-seeds-broad-vs-runner). Peter F. used the RHS autumn guidance. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You want broad beans early, and October already feels soon. Sowing broad beans in autumn is right only for a hardy variety such as Aquadulce, on a mild, sheltered, well-drained site.

Our top picks

Unwins Unwins Aquadulce Claudia

Best overall

Unwins Unwins Aquadulce Claudia
9.6/10about £2.48
View offer
Just Seed Just Seed Aquadulce (60)

Alternative

Just Seed Just Seed Aquadulce (60)
9.4/10about £3.65
View offer
Just Seed Just Seed Aquadulce (80)

Best value

Just Seed Just Seed Aquadulce (80)
9.4/10about £1.75
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.When autumn sowing is the right case
  2. 2.Drainage, cover and mice
  3. 3.Which packets in this set match that case
  4. 4.What to do instead

When autumn sowing is the right case

October and November sowings are for milder parts of the UK, or a very sheltered spot, and only on well-drained soil. The RHS allows that window for a hardy variety, with a cloche or plastic-free fleece in cold spells. Aquadulce is the cultivar the RHS names for November. It is notably hardy. This page does not call it the hardiest bean in commerce, and it claims no Award of Garden Merit. If the site is windy or wet, sow in pots in February.

Drainage, cover and mice

The RHS restricts outdoor autumn sowing to well-drained soil. A clay bed that holds water in November waits for February pots. The Just Seed Aquadulce care texts already say well-drained soil. They do not override a wet allotment. Cover is for cold spells, not a change of species. Cloches, or reused or biodegradable fleece, also help against pigeons. Plastic-free fleece is not a coat that makes a runner hardy. Mice take broad-bean seed in the row. Sow in modules or pots, which an unheated greenhouse in a cold area already allows. Do not re-sow into the same empty drill.
Unwins Unwins Aquadulce Claudia

Testsieger

Unwins Unwins Aquadulce Claudia
9.6/10about £2.48
View offer

Which packets in this set match that case

Four listings state an autumn or winter window. Mr Fothergill's Aguadulce at about £3.49 states 45 seeds and an autumn and winter variety, and the title also says flower seeds. The 60-seed Just Seed packet at about £3.65 states autumn and 65 cm. The 80-seed packet at about £1.75 states winter and 65 cm, at 5 cm deep. It is the best value counted packet if the site can take that window. The organic line was not checked as a GB-ORG code. Model 22397 at about £4.00 states 100 cm. The bullets say autumn and the period field says February to May. Claudia at about £2.48 is the top pick on score and prints neither a month nor a count. The Sutton's window is empty. Do not paste another shop's dates onto those two ASINs.

What to do instead

If the site is wet or windy, sow in pots in February. If you missed November, sow leftover Aquadulce in spring. Broad beans do not need winter cold to flower. What you lose after mid-April is pod set. Do not fill the gap with Polestar, Mergoles, Equator, Yard Long, Hunter or the mung packet. A fleece is not a way to put those into November. Depth and spacing for a spring sowing are on how to sow bean seeds. Which Aquadulce listing states a window is on best bean seeds.

Common questions

Can you sow broad beans in October or November in the UK?
Yes, if the variety is hardy and the site is mild, sheltered and well drained. The RHS allows October and November in those conditions, with a cloche or plastic-free fleece in cold spells. Cold or wet areas should use pots, including an unheated greenhouse, rather than a direct sowing. A February pot sowing is the alternative when the plot itself is wrong.
Which variety does the RHS name for November?
Aquadulce. The RHS feature calls it a notably hardy cultivar for that month. Aguadulce on the Mr Fothergill's listings is the same name. Claudia shares the Aquadulce name, and our Unwins listing still does not print a month or a seed count. Do not treat a shop slogan about the hardiest bean as something this listing proved.
What if the soil is wet, heavy, or the site is windy?
Do not autumn-sow in the open. Wet soil rots the seed, and a windy site is one the RHS tells you to skip. Sow in pots in February instead, and plant out when the plants are sturdy. A thicker cover does not fix a bed that holds water in November. The Just Seed pages that say well-drained soil are describing the same limit.
How do you stop mice taking outdoor seed?
Sow in modules or pots so the seed is not in the row, which is the RHS workaround. The November jobs page also tells you to protect new outdoor sowings. An unheated greenhouse in a cold area keeps the pots off the open plot. This page does not describe a trap. If the seed has already been taken, re-sow in modules rather than back into the same drill.
Do you need a cloche?
You need cover in cold spells, not on every mild day. The RHS grow guide says a cloche or plastic-free fleece for those spells. October jobs mention cloches or reused or biodegradable fleece in colder areas, which also helps against pigeons. A fleece is not a licence to sow a runner bean in autumn. Runners still wait for frost to pass.
Which packets in this set state an autumn or winter window?
Mr Fothergill's Aguadulce says an autumn and winter variety. The 60-seed Just Seed packet says autumn. The 80-seed Just Seed packet says winter. Model 22397 says autumn in the bullets and February to May in the period field, so it does not have one window. Claudia and The Sutton do not state a window. Prices on the four windowed packets run from about £1.75 to £4.00 on the 19 October 2026 snapshot.

Related pages

Bean seeds buying guide

Bean seeds

Best bean seeds: autumn, climber, dwarf or sprouts

Broad beans vs runner beans: hardy or frost-tender

How to sow bean seeds: the depth, frost and spacing

Sources

Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these twelve listings were read on 19 October 2026. Page updated 21 October 2026.

  1. RHS, How to grow broad beans (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. RHS, Sowing broad beans in autumn or spring (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. RHS, How to grow French beans (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. RHS, How to grow runner beans (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Seed Marketing Regulations 2011 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK, Organic food: labelling and advertising rules (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. FSA, Home food fact checker (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. RHS, Blackfly on beans (retrieved 19 October 2026)