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Fava bean growing

Cool-season produce

Fava bean

Vicia faba

Also known as Broad bean · Fava beans

A cool-weather bean, unlike summer snap beans. Give it the longest mild stretch; protect flowers from a hard freeze and harvest before heat.

EdibleCool-season cropNitrogen fixer
Growing spaceVegetable bed
Climate fitUrban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b · Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b
Crop familyFabaceae (legume)
Life cycleAnnual crop
Phoenix planting windowOctober–November for a cool-season trial in Phoenix.
How to plantDirect sow large seeds; stake if plants lodge.
Plant spacing6–8 in
FrostTolerates light frost once established; cover during a hard freeze.
Time to harvestVariety-dependent; harvest pods in late winter or spring
SuccessionOne or two fall sowings.
Special categoriesEDIBLE · NITROGEN FIXING
Typical harvestYoung green pods or shelled beans in late winter and spring.

Before you plant

These conditions determine whether it will thrive.

Cold hardinessHardy here

Very frost hardy. Plants take frost down to at least 21°F without damage.

Leaves and wood: damaged below 21°F
Heat toleranceNeeds afternoon shade

Does poorly in heat, especially during flowering and pod set. Plant in fall and expect to harvest by April in Phoenix.

Sources: ucanr.edu

Right plant, right place

Will Fava bean grow at your Arizona property?

A cool-weather bean, unlike summer snap beans. Give it the longest mild stretch; protect flowers from a hard freeze and harvest before heat.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b, Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b.

Light

Sun exposure

Full winter sun; give leafy crops afternoon protection during warm fall and spring weather.

Water

Irrigation

Keep the vegetable root zone evenly moist with regular irrigation; adjust to rain, soil, and temperature rather than using a fixed summer schedule.

Planting & stewardship

How to help Fava bean thrive

  1. 1

    Prepare a fertile, well-drained bed and keep seed or transplants evenly moist through establishment.

  2. 2

    Thin to the final spacing; crowding reduces harvest quality.

  3. 3

    Watch for aphids and caterpillars and protect sensitive growth from a hard freeze.

  4. 4

    Harvest before sustained spring heat causes bolting or poor quality.

Read the horticultural reference ↗

Read the growing reference ↗ Planting dates can shift with cultivar, weather, and your yard’s microclimate.

Keep exploring

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