When can I plant fava bean outside?

Direct sow or transplant 6 weeks before your last spring frost.

How long until fava bean is ready to harvest?

75-100 days. Pods are plump with visible bean outlines; beans should be green and tender; shell and peel inner skin for best texture

Lawn Guardian

When to Plant Fava Bean

Vicia faba

legumeZones 3–9intermediate

Cool-season bean with large, meaty seeds inside thick pods. One of the oldest cultivated crops. Unlike other beans, fava prefers cool weather and can survive mild freezes.

Planting calendar

Direct sow / transplant

6 weeks before your last spring frost.

Fall planting

4 weeks before your first fall frost.

Unlike other beans, favas thrive in cool weather; plant very early spring or fall; stake tall varieties

Spacing & harvest

Plant spacing: 6-8 inches
Row spacing: 18-24 inches
Days to harvest: 75-100 days
Ready when: Pods are plump with visible bean outlines; beans should be green and tender; shell and peel inner skin for best texture

Companion planting

Plant near

Potato — Fixes nitrogen and deters aphids

Keep away from

Garlic — Alliums may inhibit legume growth
Onion — Alliums may inhibit legume growth

Get fava bean planting dates for your exact zone

Lawn Guardian turns this guidance into a schedule timed to your USDA zone and this week's actual weather — and adapts every time you log what you've done.

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Sources: Purdue University Turfgrass Science: Use Growing Degree Days to Better Time Your Applications · University of Missouri Extension: Cool-Season Grasses: Lawn Maintenance Calendar · University of Minnesota Extension: Pre-emergent Herbicides for Crabgrass Control in Lawns