An English classic with the largest seeds. White Windsor is an old, proven broad bean variety with very large, greenish-white seeds and an exceptionally delicate flavor. Mid-late and high-yielding—sown in early spring, it extends the broad bean season by several weeks after early varieties. For eating raw, hot, or preserved.

At a glance

• Type: mid-late, high-yielding variety with very large seeds
• Seeds: greenish-white, very large
• Direct sowing: March – April
• Harvest: July – August
• Position: sunny, fertile and moist soil
• Difficulty: very easy – a vegetable for beginners
• Number of seeds per packet: approx. 30 (50 g (40 g + 10 g free))

What makes this variety stand out

Windsor-type varieties originate from England and have been considered the tastiest broad beans there for two hundred years—with short, broad pods and large, flat seeds. White Windsor has light, greenish-white seeds that remain creamy and mealy after cooking, without bitterness. The plants are strong and tall, producing abundant crops in fertile, moist soil.

As a mid-late variety, it ripens 1–2 weeks after early varieties—an ideal partner for Joker or Kier if you want to harvest fresh broad beans throughout the summer. Promotional packet: 40 g plus 10 g free, for a total of 50 g of seeds.

Growing step by step

Sowing (March – April, directly outdoors): broad beans are among the first vegetables sown in spring—the seeds germinate at just 3–5°C, and young plants tolerate frosts down to -4°C. Sow in rows 30–40 cm apart, placing 2–3 seeds every 20–30 cm (or singly every 10–15 cm), at a depth of 4–5 cm. Germination takes 10–20 days, depending on the temperature.

Thinning: when all the seeds in a planting station have emerged, leave the 2 strongest plants. The seedlings do not need pricking out or transplanting; raising them in pots (sowing in March under cover) can speed up the harvest by around 2 weeks.

Growing (April – July): the plants grow quickly and reach 80–120 cm in height. In windy locations, stretch string between stakes along the rows so that the stems, weighed down by pods, do not fall to the ground. Broad beans fix nitrogen from the air, so nitrogen fertilization is unnecessary—compost added before sowing is sufficient.

Care and harvest: broad beans are undemanding: water during dry periods (especially while flowering and setting pods), earth up young plants for stability, and check the shoot tips for black bean aphids. When the lower pods begin to set, pinch out the shoot tips—this is the simplest way to limit aphids and speed up ripening. Harvest the pods when the seeds are fully developed but still soft and pale—usually 3–4 weeks after flowering.

Uses

White Windsor’s large, creamy seeds are excellent raw with salt, cooked with butter, in classic English broad beans with mint, and in cream soups and spreads. The variety is very good for freezing (the seeds retain their texture) and for preserving. In the garden, broad beans serve as green manure—they enrich the soil with nitrogen and are an excellent preceding crop for cabbages and leeks.

Gardener’s tip

Specifications