01
Early harvest
June
Prepared modules of kale or chard can use the full remaining season. Beetroot and lettuce also fit where conditions suit direct sowing.
UK succession guide
What to plant after broad beans.
Broad beans belongs to the pea and bean family. The strongest follow-on choice depends on the exact clearance date—not the crop name alone.
Check my date and regionShort answer
Start with these credible options.
These are useful directions, not automatic recommendations. Use the tool to check whether the sowing window still fits.
- 01
Kale
Reliable winter greenery and a long picking period.
Read the growing guide → - 02
Chard
Long harvest period, ornamental stems and excellent cold tolerance.
Read the growing guide → - 03
Lettuce
Fast, compact and easy to stagger for continuous harvests.
Read the growing guide → - 04
Spinach
Fast leaves and a strong fit after summer crops.
Read the growing guide →
When the space opens
Commonly June to August, with autumn-sown beans often freeing space first.
- What the bed is like
- An early-season bed with upright stems, substantial roots and enough summer warmth left for a second useful crop.
- The key decision
- This is one of the best handover windows. Choose between a transplanted long-season crop and a quick direct sowing, based on the actual clearance date and space available.
Choose by clearance date
The answer changes as the season moves.
These bands are starting points. Use the seed packet and the personalised tool for your region, cover and exact date.
Clear the old crop well
Reset the space before replanting.
- 1
Harvest tops and beans separately
Pick the final usable beans, then cut down the top growth. Compost healthy material in manageable pieces.
- 2
Remove coarse crowns
Fine healthy roots may decay in place, but lift crowns that block close planting and inspect for damage or disease.
- 3
Re-wet a dry summer bed
Water deeply before planting if the soil has dried beneath the surface. Add mature compost only where the next crop and soil condition justify it.
Avoid a poor handover
Two details worth checking
Do not rely on a nitrogen bonus
Nitrogen fixation benefits the bean while it grows and does not guarantee that the successor needs no feeding. Choose and manage the next crop normally.
Protect young brassicas immediately
Kale planted after broad beans may face pigeons, caterpillars and cabbage root fly. Put appropriate protection in place at planting.
Questions small growers ask
Specific answers for this handover
What can I plant after broad beans in June?
Kale or chard modules can take over quickly, while beetroot and lettuce can be sown where the variety and conditions fit. June clearance offers much more choice than a late-autumn handover.
What can follow broad beans in a small raised bed?
Choose a crop that earns the remaining footprint: one or two chard plants, a short row of beetroot, repeated lettuce, or late-summer spinach after an August clearance.
Do broad beans add enough nitrogen for the next crop?
Do not assume so. Beans fix nitrogen for their own growth, but the amount left available afterwards varies. Assess the soil and successor instead of skipping normal crop care.
Sources and scope
Checked growing guidance
Season, variety and local conditions can move a clearance date. SowNext uses these sources conservatively and keeps the exact-date tool as the final check.
Turn the answer into a plan
Use this handover again next season.
A crop list answers today’s question. Saving the dates and the space makes the answer useful for the rest of the year.
- 01
Check today’s fit
Enter the clearance date, UK region, light and protection so unsuitable late sowings drop out.
Check crops for this space → - 02
Add the choice to your calendar
Choose “Add to growing plan” on a result to save its start date and likely harvest window on this device.
Find and save a crop → - 03
Plan the whole year
Mix pots, raised beds and other spaces, then edit or swap crops without losing the rest of the schedule.
Generate my annual plan →
Before sowing
Three checks matter more than a fixed list.
- CalendarWill the successor establish before its conservative regional cut-off?
- Crop familyChanging family is useful where pests or soil disease have been a problem.
- Space and lightA credible date is not enough if the crop cannot physically fit or receive enough sun.