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Growing Broad beans (Vicia faba)

Easy to grow. Sow Direct in rows. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed.
Best planted at soil temperatures between 6°C and 24°C.

Pick the tops out once beans start setting to prevent blackfly.

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Culinary hints - cooking and eating Broad beans

The fresh beans are eaten steamed or boiled.
The leafy top shoots of the adult plants can be picked and steamed after flowering.
Small beans can be eaten whole in the pods.

Your comments and tips

10 Feb 2008 Mary Forbes
Plant just one row and when they are about 10 cm high, plant a second row. Repeat as required. This ensures that you have tender broad beans for a longer period and are not over-loaded with a huge crop.
01 May 2008
Hi, this is the first time we are growing broad beans and our garden is going great guns, We planted 20 seeds and have 20 very healthy and happy b road bean plants about 40cm high. HOWEVER, the broad beans are full of ants!! What should I be doing to get rid of them, or are they there for a purpose? Can someone help me please cause I dont want to see my plants.
01 May 2008 Chris
Ants on the broadbeans are probably there because of blackfly/greenfly. The ants will be protecting the blackfly and feeding on the honeydew they secrete. Once the beans are past knee height you can pinch off the growing tips (the top two-to-three inches) of the bean plants (you can steam and eat these tips as a vegetable). Alternatively you can try washing off any insects with soapy water.

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See planting calendar for these countries and climate zones

Australia - cool/mountain,   Australia - sub-tropical,   Australia - temperate,   Australia - tropical,   New Zealand - cool/mountain,   New Zealand - sub-tropical,   New Zealand - temperate,   United Kingdom - temperate/cool,   United Kingdom - temperate/warm  

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.

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