Fava Bean (Broad Bean) in Zone 9a & 9b

Vicia faba

When to plant fava bean (broad bean) in zone 9b

Zones 9a and 9b 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.

Start indoorsNot typically started indoors
Direct sow / transplant outsideJan 25–Feb 1
Estimated harvestApr 12–Apr 19 (~77 days after direct-sowing)

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

Fava Bean (Broad Bean)
Photo: Kolforn via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped.

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 9's season

Zone 9b's frost-free window runs about 293 days, from February 15 to December 5. 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

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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 9b

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Growing Fava Bean (Broad Bean) in USDA zone 9b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a harvest.

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