When to Plant Fava Beans: Spring and Fall Dates

Favas (Vicia faba) are related to peas and vetch more than to green beans (Texas A&M). They sprout and grow in cool soil, tolerate light freezes, and stall once summer heat arrives. University of Minnesota says they want highs only into the low 80s, and that in most of Minnesota they set only a few pods before it turns hot. So the trick is the opposite of snap beans: plant early, not late. For warm-season beans, see when to plant beans.

Spring dates by last frost

Oregon State says favas can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, the same signal used for peas. GardenPal translates that as about 4 to 2 weeks before your average last frost, the window our calendar uses for peas. The last column is a rough guide to when green beans are ready, based on Oregon State's figures for spring varieties (130 to 150 days to dry seed, about 30 days less for green beans).

Those harvest dates run into early summer. If your summers turn hot quickly, sow at the very start of the window and pick a fast or heat-tolerant variety; Oregon State names 'Broad Windsor' for spring planting and 'Foul Muddamma' as a heat-tolerant type.

Fall planting in mild-winter areas

Where winters are mild, favas grow through the cool months and are picked in spring. Extension timing by region:

Cold-winter gardens can't count on favas surviving outdoors. University of Minnesota and UConn both treat them as an early spring crop. For other crops that go in during fall, see when to plant garlic.

Planting and spacing

Harvest

Pick favas green when the seeds start to bulge in the pod, then shell them; the white skin on each bean can be slipped off before or after cooking (University of Minnesota). You can also let pods dry on the plant and use the seeds as dry beans. University of Minnesota notes that some people are sensitive to raw favas, so it advises always cooking them fully.

Favas as a soil builder

As legumes, favas add nitrogen to the soil where they grow (Clemson). UC Master Gardeners also cut the stems and leaves and compost them or turn them under as a green manure after harvest, and note that the early flowers draw in pollinators. That makes a fall fava bed an easy way to rest a bed between summer crops; see cover crops for vegetable gardens for other ways to rest a bed.

Frequently asked questions

When should I plant fava beans?

In cold-winter areas, in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked, like peas (Oregon State, University of Minnesota). In mild-winter areas, in fall: October to November in Louisiana (LSU AgCenter) and fall in Texas (Texas A&M) for a spring harvest.

Can fava beans be planted in fall?

Yes, where winters are mild. Oregon State fall-plants cold-hardy varieties such as 'Aquadulce Claudia' in late September or October in the Pacific Northwest, and UC Master Gardeners in Sonoma County sow from late summer to November.

Do fava beans tolerate frost?

They like cool weather and tolerate freezing temperatures (Texas A&M), and UConn says some frost-resistant varieties survive below freezing. Very cold winters still don't suit them (UC Master Gardeners).

Why didn't my fava beans make many pods?

Usually heat. University of Minnesota says favas want highs only into the low 80s and set few pods once it turns hot, so sow as early as the soil allows or switch to fall planting in mild climates.

How deep and far apart do I plant fava beans?

1 to 2 inches deep and 6 to 8 inches apart in rows about 18 inches apart (UC Master Gardeners); Oregon State spaces plants 5 to 6 inches apart.

How long do fava beans take to grow?

Texas A&M gives about 65 days to green beans from a fall sowing. Oregon State says spring varieties take 130 to 150 days to dry seed, with green beans about 30 days sooner.

Do fava beans need an inoculant?

It helps, especially in a bed where favas haven't grown before. Oregon State names <i>Rhizobium leguminosarum</i> as the right bacteria, and UC Master Gardeners recommend a fava inoculant for a first planting.