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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08 Jan 17, Liz (Australia - temperate climate)
I have planted dwarf beans in Perth from March - May with success.
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18 Oct 16, Mark (Australia - temperate climate)
Help! Rookie Gardner,some of my broad beans are developing black mould. What is it,and how do I treat it?
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24 Oct 16, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
It could be black sooty mould. Does it look like this video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG4GIkK7P4w If so, a spray with a mild natural dishwater mix is the best treatment. The spray will also kill any aphids which are a common cause for the mould, with the honeydew sugars they leave behind. Even a spray with the hose will kill aphids and wash the plants. Good luck with the Fava beans! I have just harvested some planted from dried beans i bought at the local middle eastern supplies.
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29 Jul 16, Gerrie (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I am a rookie gardener in Canberra. My winter garden is going well. Silverbeet, kale and cabbages are thriving. Root vegs (radishes and beets) producing too much foliage but not enough root so I'll switch from fertilising with my worm juice and seasol mix and add some potash to reduce the nitrogen part of the NPK ratio. Had good green manure crops (trying to improve the Canberra compacted clay soil). Planted three broadbean (faba) varieties which are still small (20cm) but growing fast. I remembered to add a bit of lime to the soil. Tried a "three sisters" (corn, beans, pumpkins) planting. Planted the corn too late (should have at least a four-week head start on the climbing beans) and got a zero pumpkin crop so I preparing plenty of bee-attracting flowers for my next attempt this spring. BTW I've invested in a cheap large (3.6x1.9m) greenhouse which is now full of small seedlings so that I can get a head start this spring. We have a short growing season here. The greenhouse will change to a shade-house in summer - last summer almost none of our seeds germinated in the harsh Canberra sun. Will keep trying and hopefully learn from my mistakes.
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14 Apr 17, Steve (Australia - temperate climate)
If you want pumpkins to set ,just hand pollinate by picking male flower ,cutting back petals and place in female flower for a few seconds and shake gently .This is the only way I have had success in my garden with pumpkins.
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12 May 16, laurence (Australia - temperate climate)
Re the leaf curl. I planted broad bean from seed, only 12 in a raised bed. All of them came up beautifully but slowly one by one succumbed to lead curl. I read this is actually a disease spread by whitefly.A dose of copper spray should resolve. Will give it a go tomorrow and will post results
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05 May 16, De Wet Burger (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
I want to start growing red beans ( Adzuki beans ) Do you have any info regarding this?
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03 May 16, Janice Allbutt (Australia - temperate climate)
My two early broadbean plants are growing well, look healthy, but the flowers turn black and die, hence no broadbeans to harvest. What could be the problem, please?
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17 Jun 18, bianca (Australia - temperate climate)
hi there, did you check leaves for any sign of aphid infestation?
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25 Apr 16, Vera (Australia - temperate climate)
H,i to all the ones who are having trouble with growing broad beans maybe its the type of soil that you use , in my garden bed i mix cow manure, garden compost ,, ,vegie compost , i have done this for a long time , and i have no trouble with growing broad beans , last year i plant the seeds and had a lot of beans i had to give some away , i planted a few weeks again the seeds and i have them growing again , Regards Vera,
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Let's start with the germination temperature: 7c to 18c is the ideal germination temperature for FB, further the temperature needs to be sustained (over 5 or more days). So it needs to be warmish for the seeds to germinate. They will however happily reside in the soil until those temperatures are met (within reason- excess moisture causing rot etc.). The growing temperature for fava beans is between 4c and 24c. The kill temperature is -4c to -10c depending on the variety. What happens between the kill temperature and the grow temperature is a "waiting/holding" time (the plant is alive, but is sort of in limbo until the temperature is good enough again to grow). Above 24c the plant is starting to experience heat related symptoms and again is just holding on (unless the temps get to hot and kill the plant). You need to think about temperatures - what temps do you expect over the next month ? Based on the temperatures, do you think you seeds will germinate ? Then think about the grow temperatures -- if the seeds sprout will they be able to grow ? Generally if you want to grow fava beans in winter you plant them in late summer - so they germinate and grow enough BEFORE the cold weather -- during the cold weather (provided your are does not get too cold) the beans will be able to stay alive and grow a slight bit -- so you can harvest greens during winter and some beans -- then spring comes and the fava plants put forth LOTS of beans and then die. That is to say, the fava bean plant does not grow very much in cold weather and I find that typical of most plants that I want to over winter. They need to have a head start in decent weather and then they kind of SLOWLY inch their way to the finish line. Over wintering is a means of keeping the produce fresh - think of it this way - if you had produce in the fridge it is no longer growing, in fact it is in the process of dying, losing valuable nutrients daily. If you have a plant in the winter ground (that can handle overwintering), it is alive, GROWING REALLY REALLY slow, but it is alive and NOT losing nutrients. I guess what I'm trying to say is, super performance is generally not required, or expected, we are just looking to hold nutrients when we over winter. Clearly some plants are better for overwinter than others - in my area FAVA BEANS are a good choice.

- Celeste Archer

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