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

23 Aug 10, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
The ants are probably there to feed on nectar secreted by blackfly/greenfly. If you can get rid of the blackfly then the ants will go too. A dilute mix of flour and water can get rid of greenfly - it glues them down. I don't know how it will go with all this rain, but maybe worth a try?
21 Aug 10, Mark (Australia - temperate climate)
Thanks. I checked this morning and I have flowers! Looks like I was just a bit early.
03 Aug 10, Rick Kyle (Australia - temperate climate)
Do you know where I can get fresh Broad beans? If not in season, when should I expect to be able to see them? Who (in Perh) is most likely to carry them? Do any (exclusive suppliers) import them in the off-season? I have Parkinson's disease and I have heard that they are high in L-DOPA which is what I'm low on.
16 Aug 10, tony (Australia - temperate climate)
great timing, broad beans coming into harvest in Perth WA now :)!!! Any half descent vegie market or continental deli should be able 2 supply.
18 Jul 10, green toes (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
sounds like a good idea
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?
18 Jul 10, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Roger, we just leave all the stems and although they tend to flop around a bit, they all produce plenty of beans.
24 Jul 10, Roger (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Thanks Liz will take your advice.
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
21 Aug 10, Margaret (Australia - temperate climate)
I am so excited, like you my broad bean plants looked healthy but they did have lots of flowers, but no beans. When I watered them this morning and looked I have LOTS of small beans coming on. So be patient, yours should start soon. I think it is the warmer weather.
Showing 251 - 260 of 344 comments

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

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.