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

Post a comment or question Display Newest first | Oldest first, Show comments for USA | for all countries
24 Jan 16, Sarah Day (Australia - temperate climate)
I agree, this also helps to avoid some of the frosts we have in central victoria.
Reply or Post a new comment
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.
Reply or Post a new comment
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?
Reply or Post a new comment
19 Jul 14, Rob Logie-Smith (Australia - temperate climate)
Is it to late to plant Broad Beans?
Reply or Post a new comment
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 ?
Reply or Post a new comment
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
Reply or Post a new comment
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.
Reply or Post a new comment
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
Reply or Post a new comment
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
Reply or Post a new comment
26 Oct 14, Andrew (Australia - temperate climate)
my broad beans have flowed for about two months, just starting to get beans forming now
Reply or Post a new comment
Showing 71 - 80 of 268 comments
See comments for all plants

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

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put Gardenate in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use Gardenate and subscribe to the free Gardenate planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About Gardenate | Contact us | Privacy Policy

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.