The field bean is cultivated on a large scale, primarily as animal feed. But not only the animals benefit from the protein and fiber-rich seeds, the broad bean is also extremely healthy for humans. Find out below how to grow broad beans in your own garden.

Field beans can be sown directly into the bed very early

Many names, one bean: the broad bean

If you only find a few broad bean seeds in the trade, you should look around for other names, because the broad 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, the most important thing to consider is when you want to harvest. Early varieties can often be harvested as early as May/June, late varieties only in midsummer. You should also keep special climatic conditions in mind.

Early Varieties

  • Melody: high-yielding, stable, rust-tolerant, gladly fed to chickens
  • Fanfare: productive, stable, tannic
  • Early white germs: reliable, robust, white seeds
  • Ratio: low, early-ripening variety, stable

Medium grades

  • Bioro: -high-growing, very frost hardy, is sown early

Mid-late and late varieties

  • Hangdown: green core, robust, high-yield

Which location do the broad beans like?

Field beans like it warm, sunny and humid. Like all beans, they provide themselves with nitrogen and therefore need little or no fertilization. Although they like warmth, most broad bean varieties can handle a bit of cold and can therefore be sown quite early.

When can you sow?

Field beans can be sown outdoors as early as the end of February. If you want to be on the safe side, you can protect the seedlings from frost overnight with foil. However, 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 on light soils: 6 to 8 cm
Planting distance: 20cm
Row spacing: 30cm

Prefer

If you want to harvest even earlier, you can bring the fava beans at home - as early as 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 (€239.00) and cover the plants in frost.

tips

If you want to harvest field beans all year round, combine early and late varieties or replant in early summer after the first harvest, as explained in the video below:

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Vegetable garden