Beans, Broad; Fava; Horse; or Windsor
Vicia faba. FABACEAE.
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Broad Beans
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow broad, fava, horse or Windsor beans in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- How many broad, fava, horse or Windsor beans to plant
- Growing conditions for broad, fava, horse or Windsor beans
- When to plant broad, fava, horse or Windsor beans
- How to plant broad, fava, horse or Windsor beans
- Watering, fertilizing, and pruning broad, fava, horse or Windsor beans
- Companion plantings for broad, fava, horse or Windsor beans
- How to harvest, store, and use broad, fava, horse or Windsor beans
Growing Broad Beans
Broad beans are a cool-season annual and member of the vetch family. They produce large pods on plants to 4-1/2-ft. (1.4 m) tall, bearing somewhat flat, oval-shaped beans in a variety of colors, including green, pinkish red, white, and yellow. Broad beans may be harvested green for immediate use or for canning, or dried for storage.
Broad Beans Plant and Care Guide
How Much to Plant
Allow 4–8 plants per household member.
How to Plant
Seed germinates in 7–12 days.
Short-Season Climates: Sow seed indoors 3–4 weeks before last frost and harden seedlings 7 days before transplanting when plants are 3–4 in. (75-100 mm) tall.
Average Climates: Sow seed in garden soil in early spring through midseason, depending on cultivar, when soil warms to 50–85°F (10–29°C).
Mild-Winter Climates: Plant in autumn for late winter or early-spring harvest.
Over-Winter Gardens: Sow fava beans as seed from September–October for harvest in spring–summer of the following season.
Sow seed 1 in. (25 mm) deep, 4–5 in. (10–13 cm) apart, thinning to 6 in. (15 cm) apart, in rows 3 ft. (90 cm) apart.
Plant successions at 60-day intervals.
Best Conditions for Growth
Growing temperature: 60–65°F (16–18°C). If sustained temperatures exceed 100°F (38°C) and are accompanied by low humidity, plants may fail; avoid planting in direct sunlight or sites with excessive heat.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained, sandy soil. Fertility: Rich. 6.0–6.8 pH. Prepare soil at least 1 ft. (30 cm) deep. Rotate plantings with leafy green and cole-family vegetables to avoid nitrogen depletion.
Proper Care
Moderate. Keep evenly moist until flowers form pods; water regularly thereafter. Fertilize monthly with 5–10–10 formula. Mulch. Cultivate. Pest and disease resistant.
Pairing Recommendations
Cucumbers, potatoes, and summer savory.
Maturity, Picking and Gathering
80–100 days; early varieties 45-60 days. Pick pods when 2–3 in. (50–75 mm) long for use fresh; after mature and pods have dried on the vine, as for dried beans.
How to Store and Preserve
Fresh in vegetable keeper of refrigerator for 5–7 days; dried in porous, fabric bags stored in a cool, dry location, 1 year. Best eaten fresh, steamed and dressed with olive oil or butter, then garnished with chopped fresh tomato.