Starting Broad Beans in Pots

Afternoon all.

I have sow broad beans in my schedule for next week, but the bed that will be early beans and peas still has pumpkins growing in it that may still produce harvestable fruit. Normally I'd give it another week to see how the pumpkins do, but I'm going to be away for almost three weeks, so I'm thinking of sowing them now in big pots and then transplanting maybe in November. 

In general. I've found pot-sown broadies do less well, but last year we had torrential rain from mid October up until December so it was impossible to work the ground (heavy, very heavy clay!) and I missed the boat with autumn sown broadies. Spring sown never do so well.

What to do?!!

With your commitments elsewhere PP you haven't got much choice.  If you have enough seed, hedge your bets , sow some BBs before you leave in  pots, with the plan to sow some more on your return if/when the beds are free and hopefully manageable. Worst case you can spring  sow, hopefully.   Leaving the garden for 3 weeks must be a wrench with so much to do.