Fava Bean

Fava Bean

Vicia faba

Sow outdoors 5 weeks before your last spring frost. Space plants 6 in (15 cm) apart.

Photo: Schlaghecken Josef, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

When to plant

Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.

See the dates for your garden

Enter your average last spring frost and first fall frost. Every timing on this site turns into a calendar date. Not sure of yours? Your local extension service or a search for “last frost date” and your town will tell you; the app finds them from your location.

Last spring frost
First fall frost

Saved in this browser only. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Optimal Direct Sow

From seedRecommended
  1. Sow outdoors5 weeks before your last spring frost
  2. First harvestabout 85 days after sowing

Growing fava bean

Spacing in the row
6 in (15 cm)
Between rows
24 in (61 cm)
Planting depth
1-2 inches
Sun
Full Sun
Life cycle
Annual

Feeding

How often
Rarely: a legume that fixes its own nitrogen. Compost dug in before sowing and an inoculant on the seed are enough; extra nitrogen gives leaves instead of pods.

Your fava bean, planned to the day.

Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.

Add fava bean to your planting calendar →

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