Fava Bean Growing Guide
Growing Fava Bean is easier than you think. This guide walks you through everything you need — from planting your first seed to harvesting.
At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Vegetable
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -10°C
Plant Family
Fabaceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Annual
Also grows well as
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Sow direct 5 cm deep, 20 cm apart, as early as the soil can be worked in spring (or in autumn where winters are mild). They germinate in cold soil that would rot other beans.
Unlike most beans, the fava (broad bean) is a COOL-season legume — sow it very early, even in late autumn in mild areas, as it shrugs off frost and needs cool weather to set pods before heat arrives. A superb nitrogen-fixing soil-builder.
When To Start
First Chance to Plant
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Last Chance to Plant
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When should you plant Fava Bean?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Fava Bean Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
The Journey Ahead
Fava Bean's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 7–14 days
Growing Tips
- 1Favas are the easy early legume — sow in cold soil, stake the tall plants in windy spots, and pinch the tops once they're flowering to discourage blackfly.
- 2After harvest, chop the nitrogen-rich plants into the soil.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~85
Days to Maturity
120 cm
Mature Height
30 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
21 days
When to Pick
Pick pods when beans are plump but still tender, late spring/early summer
How to Harvest
- 1Pick the lowest pods first, when the beans inside have swelled but are still tender and the pods feel full.
- 2Pinch out the growing tips once flowering is well underway — it boosts pods and deters blackfly.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Leave some pods to dry fully on the plant, then shell out and store the large dry beans — also great seed for next year and as a cover crop.
Seed Production
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