Your soil must be very fertile. Yes, pinch the tops out now and they will break giving you 2 or 3 heads to each plant. Hope that it remains mild this winter and you should get a good crop next year. They will need to be pinched out again when they are in full flower.

Gracious we can't even sow broad beans in autumn for the following spring the soil is too wet and cold.

Thanks Doc for the response. Our soil is exceptionally fertile - the garden of a 500 year old cottage. We have 4 ft depth of the most incredible soil which was manured every year with seaweed from the local beach. No stones at all, just thousands of sea shells!

It actually creates many problems for us in that everything we grow - vegetables and flowers gain the most incredible height.

Two years ago I planted a firm old favorite - Alderman Peas. They got up to 10ft in height instead of the usual 6ft.

Thanks again for your answer.

Trevor

Trevor how lucky you are to have such fertile soil.