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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24 Jan 16, Sarah Day (Australia - temperate climate)
I agree, this also helps to avoid some of the frosts we have in central victoria.
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30 Jul 14, Linda (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Give them time. Sometimes they are slow but before long you'll start to see the flowers drop and the beans appear.
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29 Jul 14, Nirbeeja (Australia - temperate climate)
My broad beans are good strong plants, heaps of flowers, but fruit is not setting. Whereas the peas are showing fruit, so it shouldn't be lack of pollination. Bees are around but very wet & windy weather. Any ideas?
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19 Jul 14, Rob Logie-Smith (Australia - temperate climate)
Is it to late to plant Broad Beans?
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14 Jun 14, Anne Cauchi (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi do l need to add anything to my soil before planting my broad beans lv dried out some beans from my last crop that's what lm replanting ?
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17 Jun 14, farmgrl (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
They are known as light feeders plant after brassicas, potatoes, carrots, turnips but before heavy feeders they require a rich loam soil. They are a good plant to grow for nitrogen fixing green manure providing plenty of quick growing organic matter. I spray them with a folic nutrient (seaweed) as an added bonus seems to have given me a good harvest. Hope this helps
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09 Jun 14, robert maxwell (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I've had no luck in Brisbane, this year the backs of some leaves are turning brown. What is itI don't know.Mind this Autunm was warm.
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29 Oct 14, Ang (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
sounds like broad bean rust..There are no effective fungicides available for rust control for broad beans. Try: Maximize air flow around the plants by wider spacing and avoid damp, humid sites. Destroy infected plant material because spores produced at the end of the season can survive in a semi-dormant state in crop residues and on seed. im on the gold coast Robert and had a bumper of a crop of broad-beans. I have garden boxes. i have about 15 plants in.. i feed mine Yates uplift once a month and had them planted with celery, peas & climbing beans. and water ever second day at night around 5pm or early morning around 6am. also i prepped my soil with chicken poop (dug it in) slow release fertilizers for vegetables. before planting and started the beans in a take away container tub with moisten cotton balls once they had shoots i put them in the garden. hope this helps
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04 Jun 14, Mags (Australia - temperate climate)
Broad beans have been flowering for about 3weeks but there are no beans. Can you tell me why please
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26 Oct 14, Andrew (Australia - temperate climate)
my broad beans have flowed for about two months, just starting to get beans forming now
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Showing 71 - 80 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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