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     P P      

(Best months for growing Broad Beans in New Zealand - cool/mountain 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 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
  • Broad bean flowering
  • Egyptian broad beans
  • Shelling broad beans
  • Young beans on plant
  • Young broad bean plant

It is a rigid, erect plant 0.5 - 1.7 m tall, with stout stems with a square cross-section. The leaves are 10 - 25 cm long, pinnate with 2 - 7 leaflets, and of a distinct glaucous grey-green color. Harvest 90 - 160 days depending on how cold the weather is.

In windy areas it is best to provide some support with posts and string, otherwise the plants will fall across each other. Pick the tops out once beans start setting to prevent blackfly.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Broad Beans

The fresh beans are eaten steamed or boiled. As the beans mature it is better to remove their tough outer skins after cooking.
The leafy top shoots of the adult plants can be picked and steamed after flowering.
Small beans can be eaten whole in the pods.
Broad beans will freeze well. Remove from pods and blanch.

Your comments and tips

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21 May 24, Phil Knight (Australia - temperate climate)
I have 10+ year old seed stock. Last season all 10 seeds failed to germinate. This season I am attempting to germinate inside until emerging in controlled environment. I soaked 24 hours and then placed seeds on damp paper towel in ziplock bag. I am concerned about mold appearing on seed. I cleaned off mold and sprayed with diluted hydrogen peroxide. Seeking advice. Thanks in advance
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28 May 24, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Seeds are probably useless after 10 years. For beans germinate rate decreases after 3 years.
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17 May 24, Peter (Australia - temperate climate)
Central Coast NSW. Broad Beans. I have had a pretty good strike rate with my Broad Beans, as they grew they were toppling over. I used Bamboo Stakes to hold them up. They are now about 3 ft tall at the end of my stakes and still growing vigourisly. I really dont want to use Tomato Stakes, What shall I do. Thanks in Advance
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21 May 24, (Australia - temperate climate)
Sounds like you have a choice - use tomato stakes or just let them fall over.
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25 May 24, Peter (Australia - temperate climate)
Yes, I think you are right anyhow, I have plenty of Tomato Stakes, will just get em out and go for it. Thanks for the Reply. Cheers. Pete.
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13 Mar 24, Nicolas Panayotou (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
were can I get seeds in South Africa in the North West province
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21 Nov 23, Anthony (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
.I Grow mine in September. I Grow my seeds in toilet rolls with seedling mix. 10 day or less to germinate.. plant out before bees arrive about in September ,October.(will help pollinate the flowers ) Harvest Nov. Yummy I have heard you can grow them all summer in a shaded place . Doing it this year Waste of time growing them through winter, without the bees Growing season is Auckland
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20 Jul 23, Joseph (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
1. Our Broad beans are having plenty of flowers for one month, however, not forming the pods. 2. Plants are having branches and too many leaves, whether it requires pruning? 3. Is the leaves edible? raw or by cooking?
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21 Jul 23, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 5a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
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 ?????
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02 Jul 23, Simone (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I planted seeds a couple of weeks ago but no sign of germination. We are getting frosts most mornings in the upper Blue Mountains NSW. Am I too late? I heard they grow better from seed or should I try to germinate inside first?
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Showing 1 - 10 of 341 comments
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Good luck Marion, hope you get a decent crop. Pinching the tops out is supposed to help deter the blackfly too. Did you know you can eat the tops like baby spinach? They're nice steamed and tossed in some butter and seasoning.

- Emma

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