Crop type: Broad Beans
Vicia faba ‘The Sutton’
Common name: Bean (broad) ‘The Sutton’
Crop slug: broad-beans
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile. Check the source and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘The Sutton’ is a dwarf broad bean with an RHS Award of Garden Merit. This hardy, upright annual has square-sectioned stems clothed in oblong blue-green leaves, with scented tubular black-and-white flowers borne along the stems.
Green pods grow up to 15cm long and contain an average of six white-skinned beans. Its compact height, early maturity and self-supporting columnar habit make the cultivar especially useful for containers, windy sites and small plots.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.1–0.5 metres
- Ultimate spread
- 0.1–0.5 metres
- Time to ultimate size
- 1 year
‘The Sutton’ completes its growth within one season and commonly reaches about 45cm. Its similarly compact height and spread distinguish it clearly from broad beans that grow to 1m or more.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Chalk, clay, loam and sand
- Moisture
- Moist but well-drained or well-drained
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral or alkaline
The cultivar accepts every listed soil texture and pH range. Fertile soil with steady moisture and free drainage supports the best pod crop, whether plants grow in the ground or a container.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- South- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H3 — hardy in coastal and relatively mild UK districts, while normally grown and harvested within one season
Place the compact plants in full sun and shelter. Their short stems cope better with wind than tall cultivars, although the profile’s H3 rating makes protected conditions preferable for very early sowings.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
| Season | Flowers | Foliage | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | White and black | Blue-green | Green |
| Summer | White and black | Blue-green | — |
| Autumn | — | — | — |
| Winter | — | — | — |
Scented black-and-white flowers contrast with blue-green foliage in spring and summer. Green pods are recorded in spring. An em dash indicates that the profile provides no colour for that field and season.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Name status
- Accepted
Genus
Vicia includes annuals, herbaceous perennials and climbers. Leaves may be simple or divided into numerous small leaflets, often ending in a tendril, and pea-like flowers in yellow, purple, white or pink form small stem clusters or larger upright sprays.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in a sunny, sheltered position. Sow in October or November with cloche protection for an early harvest, in pots in a cold greenhouse during February, or directly outdoors in March or April. The short, sturdy plants should not need support.
Propagation
Propagate by seed. Direct sow into a prepared bed or large container, or raise individual plants under cover before planting out.
Suggested locations
The scented flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinating insects.
- Patio and container plants
- Wildlife gardens
Pruning
Once the lowest flowers have set pods, pick off the tender shoot tips. This can delay and reduce black bean aphid infestation and help improve bean yield.
Pests
The cultivar may be susceptible to pea and bean weevil and black bean aphid. Stored seed can be affected by broad bean seed beetle.
Diseases
Possible diseases are broad bean rust and broad bean chocolate spot. Give plants enough airflow and monitor leaves, stems and pods during damp weather.