The field bean is cultivated on a large scale, primarily as animal feed. But it's not just animals that benefit from the protein and fiber-rich seeds, the broad bean is also extremely he althy for people. Below you will find out how to grow broad beans in your own garden.
When and how to sow faba beans?
Faba beans can be sown outdoors at the end of February. The sowing depth is 4-6 cm for medium to heavy soils and 6-8 cm for light soils. The planting distance should be 20 cm and the row spacing should be 30 cm. Before planting, the faba beans can also be grown at home at the beginning of February.
Many names, one bean: the field bean
If you can only find a few faba bean seeds in stores, you should look for other names, because the faba bean is known by many synonyms. Among other things, it is also called: broad bean, broad bean, fava bean, broad bean, horse bean or cattle bean.
The best varieties of broad beans
When choosing a variety, you should especially consider when you want to harvest. Early varieties can often be harvested in May/June, late varieties only in mid-summer. You should also keep special climatic conditions in mind.
Early varieties
- Melody: high-yielding, stable, rust-tolerant, often fed to chickens
- Fanfare: productive, stable, tannic
- Early white-germinated: high-yield, robust, white seeds
- Ratio: low, early ripening variety, stable
Medium varieties
Bioro: -tall, very frost hardy, is sown early
Mid-late and late varieties
Hangdown: green-core, robust, high-yielding
What location do the broad beans like?
Faba beans like it warm, sunny and moist. Like all beans, they supply themselves with nitrogen and therefore require little or no fertilization. Although they love warmth, most broad bean varieties can also cope with some cold and can therefore be sown quite early.
When can you sow?
Faba beans can be sown outdoors at the end of February. If you want to be on the safe side, you can protect the seedlings from frost overnight with foil. The broad bean survives well down to -5°C.
The most important facts about sowing:
Sowing depth in medium to heavy soils: 4 to 6 cm
Sowing depth in light soils: 6 to 8cm
Planting distance: 20cmRow spacing: 30cm
Advance
If you want to harvest even earlier, you can plant the faba beans at home - at the beginning of February. After two to three weeks, the germinated plants can go outside into the bed. Protect the delicate young roots with mulch and cover the plants during frost.
Tip
If you want to harvest broad beans all year round, combine early and late varieties or replant in early summer after the first harvest, as explained in the following video:
