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
    S S S              
    T T T T            
    P P P P            

(Best months for growing Broad Beans in Australia - sub-tropical regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • 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 6°C and 24°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 15 - 25 cm 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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A few things : 1. Do not DEAD HEAD the flowers - the flowers will turn black and wither, and will look ugly, BUT the bean STARTS forming at the base of the dead flower - if you remove the dead flower you might pull off the start of the bean. 2. Everywhere you have a flower, you should get a bean (or two), the beans usually start coming in from the bottom of the plant upward. 3. All parts of the fava bean plant (from the ground up) are edible - flowers, stalk, leaves -- I use the leaves and stalk as my greens in scrambled eggs (once the eggs are pretty much done, just add the fava bean greens in the last 10 seconds, incorporating/folding in and removing from the heat). The first time you try this, it may not be that great, but after 3 times it is rather nice and you might miss them if you don't add them to your eggs. The greens also make a great pesto and can garnish a soup. I have never pruned my fava beans.... but since I do take branches for use in cooking... perhaps I have never let my plants get out of control enough to need to prune them ?????

- Celeste Archer

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