Quick start ⚡ Quick start info for sowing broad beans ⚡
🌱 Sowing and planting broad beans
Broad beans ( Vicia faba ) are hardy legumes that you can grow very early in the season.
- Sowing depth: 5–8 cm deep.
- Sowing distance: 20 cm between plants and 40–50 cm between rows. You can sow three beans together in 10 cm deep pots or sow them directly in groups of three.
- Germination: at 2–10 °C, after about 10–14 days.
- Planting distance: usually sow directly in situ; transplant pre-sown seedlings at the same distances.
- Planting out: when the plants are about 10 cm high, they can be planted outside.
- Growth cycle: approximately 80 days from sowing to harvest.
📅 Growing times
- Very early cultivation: sow outdoors in late September. The plants overwinter and produce a harvest from mid-May to mid-June.
- Early cultivation: sow under glass from January to early February and plant outdoors in March. Harvest in June and early July.
- Regular cultivation: sow outdoors from mid-February. Harvest is approximately between mid-June and mid-July.
📘Basic information about broad beans
- Crop group: Legume
- Plant family: Pea family
- Height: approximately 150 cm
- Growth cycle: approximately 80 days
- Frost resistance: yes, broad beans tolerate cold quite well
- Root system: deep rooting, about 45–60 cm
- Fertilization: little needed; as a papilionaceous plant the plant can fix nitrogen itself
- Preferred soil: pH 6.0–7.5, well-drained and not too heavily fertilized
🌞💧 Location and watering
- Location: 🌞 Lots of sun – choose an open, sunny spot.
- Water requirements: 💧 Water sparingly – give regularly, but not too much; avoid wet feet for long periods of time.
🤝 Good and bad neighbors of broad beans
✅ Good neighbors
- Potatoes
- Corn
❌ Bad neighbors
There are no particularly bad neighbours listed for broad beans.
❗Dangers and concerns
The main problem with broad beans is aphids . These are often found at the top of the plants and on the young shoots. By checking regularly and removing affected buds, you can keep the pest under control.
🧺 Harvesting and storing
For an early harvest, you can harvest the broad beans like regular beans, when the seeds are the size of a bean but not yet clearly protruding from the pod. For the traditional harvest, allow the pods to fully develop to about 15–20 cm and eat the beans without the pod.
Pick from the bottom up and harvest regularly: this encourages the plant to continue producing new pods. Harvest by twisting the stem away from the plant to avoid damaging it.
After harvesting, you can add the foliage to the compost pile. It's packed with nitrogen and will nourish your soil for the next growing season. Leave the roots in the soil: they also contain plenty of nitrogen and improve the structure.
🍽️ Nutritional value of broad beans
100 grams of cooked broad beans (without salt) contains approximately:
- 110 kcal
- 0 g fat
- 20 g carbohydrates
- 8 g protein
- 5 g fiber
- 2 g sugar
- Vitamins: rarely mentioned
- Minerals and other substances: phosphorus, copper, manganese and folic acid
Introduction to sowing broad beans
Sowing broad beans is great for smaller vegetable gardens. The plants produce a large yield for the space they take up. Broad beans are best eaten fresh from the plant or frozen immediately after harvest. Broad beans have a much better flavor than those you can buy in specialty stores. If you're not familiar with this vegetable yet, definitely give it a try. It's one of the earliest vegetables you'll eat of the year.
Broad bean seeds are inexpensive and, due to their size, easy to handle. They germinate very easily but dislike overwatering. Those with clay soil in their vegetable gardens, take note. Don't sow them if the weather forecast only shows drizzle, or your seeds will rot and become worm food. Broad beans are also sometimes called lab beans and, due to their ease of growing, are ideal for beginners. Plukkers recommends the Witkiem variety, which thrives in our climate.
