Growing Broad Beans, also Fava bean

Vicia faba : Fabaceae / the pea or legume family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
              P P      

(Best months for growing Broad Beans in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 43°F and 75°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 6 - 10 inches apart
  • Harvest in 12-22 weeks. Pick frequently to encourage more pods.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Dill, Potatoes

Your comments and tips

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18 Jul 10, green toes (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
sounds like a good idea
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18 Jul 10, Roger (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
This is my first time growing beans, my plants look healthy but I have more then one stem on each plant should these be cut off to concentrate on one stronger plant?
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24 Jul 10, Roger (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Thanks Liz will take your advice.
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11 Jul 10, Andrew (Australia - temperate climate)
My bean plants look healthy and quite tall, but no flowers or beans. It has been very cold here the last two weeks or so. Whats wrong? Thanks
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03 Jul 10, Margaret (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
When you pick out the tops, don't throw them in the compost, they are lovely chopped up and put in with your stir fry vegetables.
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01 Jul 10, Margaret (Australia - temperate climate)
My broad bean plants look healthy and come into flower but the beans aren't setting. There are lots of bees around so I am assuming it is not a pollination problem. Has anyone come across this before? Margaret
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03 Jul 10, Fiona (Australia - temperate climate)
I had the same problem last year. Turns out I sowed them too early. Don't worry though, they will start to set when the weather is right. We still had a really good crop in the end :-)
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18 Jun 10, JC (Australia - temperate climate)
What do you mean by pick the tops out?
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19 Jun 10, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
It means to pick off the top-most shoots so the plant stops growing upwards.
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11 Jun 10, John Woodward (Australia - temperate climate)
I also have broadbeans with curled leaves cannot find anything causing it. Seem to be growing OK but I don't know how they will go come time to flower.
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Showing 201 - 210 of 268 comments
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The nice thing about fava beans is you don't have to cook them -- and you don't have to shell them (if they are still young -- they are young enough to eat whole UP TO THE point where they have plumped up fully and the pod is NOT YET fibrous -- once the pods are fibrous the pods need to be discarded (keep the beans) because the fibrous pods are too difficult to digest and will cause lots of discomfort). OK -- so I use my young pods raw (entire pod -- and some leaves and stalk) to make a pesto. I use this pesto as a dip. I also chop up the full pod and use them in stews (Garnish with some leaves). I use the leaves and some stalk (chopped up) when I make scrabbled eggs -- adding the fava once the scrambled eggs are about 15 seconds from done -- in other words just incorporating them into the scrambled eggs and then removing from the pan. If your unsure about what I mean when I say fibrous -- if you where to put the full pod in a blender/chopper -- after you chop, look at the mixture -- if the pods where too fibrous you will see "MESH" yes "MESH" -- looks like pieces of wire mesh -- pick these out and discard these. I NEVER DOUBLE SHELL -- the beans are always good -- but may need to be softened up like any dried bean needs to be.

- Celeste Archer

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