Broad Windsor Bean Fava is a classic cool-season legume that matures in just 80 days from direct seeding, offering gardeners a reliable crop of substantial beans packed with protein. This cultivar thrives in the Fabaceae family's nitrogen-fixing magic, improving your soil while you harvest. Sow it early in spring as soon as soil is workable, or in fall (zones 6 and above) for a late-spring harvest. It demands full sun and surprisingly little water once established, making it an efficient addition to low-maintenance gardens.
3
Full Sun
Low
2-10
?in H x ?in W
—
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Broad Windsor Bean Fava excels as a cool-season crop that gardeners can manipulate with timing. Fall-sown plants overwintered in zones 6 and above mature in mid to late May, while spring sowings deliver beans by midsummer. The beans dry beautifully for storage, and with proper drying and freezing techniques, they'll keep reliably through winter. Direct seeding is straightforward: one ounce plants 4 to 10 row feet, so a modest packet supplies substantial production.
Broad Windsor Bean Fava is grown primarily for its mature, dried beans, which are harvested when pods have fully ripened and the plant has begun to senesce. These beans are a staple in dried bean cooking, where they develop a nutty, earthy flavor after rehydration and slow cooking. They can also be harvested earlier at the immature green stage for fresh consumption, though the dried seed is the primary harvest target.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Direct sow Broad Windsor Bean Fava as soon as soil can be worked in spring, or in September through October for an overwintering crop in zones 6 and above. Place seeds 3 inches apart in rows spaced 12 inches apart. One ounce of seed plants 4 to 10 row feet. Sow at a depth appropriate for the seed size, typically about 1.5 inches deep for fava beans.
Allow Broad Windsor Bean Fava plants to fully mature in the field for 80 days from direct seeding. For dried beans, wait until pods have fully ripened and the plant has begun to die back naturally. When harvested in spring after fall sowing, expect maturity in mid to late May. Pull entire plants and allow them to dry further; if weather prevents adequate field drying, pull plants and spread them on a tarp indoors, turning daily for even drying. Once material is brittle dry, thresh by placing beans in a bag and striking it against a hard surface, or beating with a stick or rake on a tarp. Ensure beans are completely dry before storage.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.