|
How to Grow Broad Beans
Broad Beans
Remains of Broad Beans have been found in Israel which date back
to 6,500 BC. This makes the humble bean one of the earliest
vegetables to be cultivated.
They are extremely easy to grow and produce a crop
as early as
mid-June. Useful, because not many vegetables are
available in the garden at that time of year.
Fresh broad beans are extremely nutritious and
high in protein. The Egyptians believed that when a person died
his soul temporarily resided in a broad bean prior to passing into
the next life. |
|
BROAD BEANS QUICK GUIDE
Latin Name
Vicia Faba
Type
Hardy annual.
Site and Soil
Good draining soil. Full sun
Plant to Harvest Time
14 weeks.
Yield
Average of 5kg (11lb) for each 3m
(10ft) row. |
|
|
|
Favism
Favism is a disease where the intake of some beans (Broad beans
included) cause the red blood cells to die quicker than normal. Around
20% of the population of Africa have this condition as do many of the
Mediterranean population.
Click
here for a site that explains this disease in much more detail. |
SOIL AND SITE
Broad Beans are very tolerant of the soil they grow in.
They prefer a deep free draining soil. Most soils however are perfectly
adequate for broad beans although they will not stand being
water-logged. They prefer a sunny site which is not
exposed to high winds. Most varieties will grow to about 1.2m
(4ft) and they form a dense barrier of foliage. So consider the impact
that the shade they will cast will have on plants growing nearby.
HOW TO SOW SEED
Broad beans are very frost hardy and will
germinate in a soil temperature as low as 2°C (35°F). Sowing time is
around
late March
in
. However if your soil is free draining they can sown in early
autumn when the weather is cooling down. This will give a crop about
three weeks earlier than a spring sowing.
A week or so before sowing the seed add a nitrogen feed
to the soil. Although Broad Beans produce their own nitrogen in little
nodules along the roots, this does not happen until the plants begin to
grow strongly. So a little extra nitrogen at the beginning will get them
off to a good start. Dig out a drill in the soil to a
depth of 6cm (2in) and 20cm (8in) wide. Sow the seed in two rows, one
row down one side of the drill, the other row down the other side. Each
bean in a row should be spaced 25cm (10in) apart from the next bean. The
simple diagram below illustrates.
If more than one double row is required, leave 60cm (2ft) between each
double row. Cover the beans with the soil and water in well if
conditions are dry.
NEXT PAGE, BROAD BEAN VARIETIES
| 
Australia Weather Settings
