Fava Bean (Broad Bean) in Zone 8a & 8b

Vicia faba

When to plant fava bean (broad bean) in zone 8b

Zones 8a and 8b share the same average frost dates in our data, so this page covers both.

Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. Fava Bean (Broad Bean) doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.

Spacing: 4 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 2-4 ft.

Fava beans (also called broad beans) look and grow like nothing else in the bean family. Where snap and pole beans want warm soil and hate frost, fava beans want cool weather and go in the ground earliest of any bean you'll grow.

How fava bean (broad bean) fits zone 8's season

Zone 8b's frost-free window runs about 230 days, from March 25 to November 10. Fava Bean (Broad Bean) needs about 77 days from sowing to first harvest.

Good companions

No standout companions recorded yet for Fava Bean (Broad Bean).

Where to buy fava bean seeds

• Botanical Interests
• True Leaf Market
• Burpee
• High Mowing Organic Seeds

See why we recommend these suppliers →

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See it growing

Search YouTube for "growing fava bean (broad bean)" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)

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Growing Fava Bean (Broad Bean) in USDA zone 8b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a harvest.

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