Fava Beans

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How to grow: Fava Beans

The Basics

Fava beans (Vicia faba), sometimes called broad beans, grow well as a cool season crop in Santa Clara County. (Most other beans require warm weather.) Favas are also often grown as a cover crop because of their ability to add nitrogen to the soil.

When to plant

• For producing pods to eat, direct seed in February or August—September, possibly into October depending on your microclimate.
• As a cover crop, favas can be planted at any time of year (though with no expectation of pod production). See Fava Bean Growing Guide for more details on optimum nitrogen production.

Harvest window

• Harvest pods for fresh shelling when beans are plump and the pods are green, thick, and have a glossy sheen. Fall-planted beans typically begin producing in early spring. February-planted beans will typically produce in late spring. 
• Pods can also be harvested when small for eating whole.
• For dried beans, leave pods on stalks until dried, then shell.
• As a cover crop, cut down stalks when flowers appear, then chop up and dig into the soil.

Care overview

• Fava beans come in a range of sizes. The large-seeded varieties are generally the ones planted for fresh pod production.
• Plant seeds 1–2 inches deep into well-prepared soil, 3–5 inches apart. Germination usually occurs in 7–14 days. Thin seedlings to 8–l0 inches apart.
• Favas grow on sturdy stalks and do not need trellising, although sometimes the tall stalks may lean out into pathways and need to be corralled.
• The most common pest for favas are aphids which typically appear as the weather warms in the spring. But a wide variety of beneficial insects such as lady beetle larva and parasitic wasps often show up quickly to feast on them.

More links

• Fava Bean Growing Guide
• Using a Cover Crop [2:56]

Warning: Some people have a hereditary enzyme deficiency which can cause a severe reaction, called favism, to fava beans or pollen. According to the National Library of Medicine, the deficiency is more common in people of African, Mediterranean, or Asian descent.

Recommended Varieties for Santa Clara County^*

^* Many other varieties may also do well here in Santa Clara County. This list is based on UC Master Gardener trials, taste tests, and feedback from local growers.