General Information

  • Category- Vegetable
  • Binomial Name-  Vicia faba
  • Common Names- Fava bean, Faba bean, Sema
  • Spread- 12 inches**
  • Height- 36 inches**
  • Average Production- 60 pods per plant
  • Days to Maturity- 50-75 days

Nutrition Values:

  • Calories: 88
  • Water: 77%
  • Protein: 7.9 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 18 grams
  • Fiber: 23 grams
  • Fat: 0.7 grams

Vitamins

  • Vitamin C- 1.4 mg
  • Vitamin K- 9 μg
  • Vitamin B1- 0.555 mg
  • Vitamin B2- 0.333 mg
  • Vitamin B3- 2.832 mg
  • Vitamin B6- 0.366 mg
  • Vitamin B9- 423 μg

Minerals

  • Potassium- 1062 mg
  • Calcium- 103 mg
  • Iron- 6.7 mg
  • Manganese- 0.626 mg
  • Magnesium- 192 mg
  • Phosphorous- 421 mg
  • Sodium- 13 mg
  • Zinc- 3.14 mg
  • Selenium- 8.2 μg
  • Copper- 0.824 mg

Environmental Requirements:

  • Soil- Rich, fertile, well-manured soil
  • Soil Moisture- 25%
  • Soil pH- 6.0-7.5
  • Sun Requirements- Full Sun/Partial Sun
  • Best Time to Plant- Autumn(September-October)&Spring
  • Temperature range- 15-30 Celsius

Tips to Grow Broad Beans:

  1. Arrange good quality of broad beans seeds.
  2. The soil should be fertile and well-drained in nature, neither too wet nor too dry. 
  3. Direct sow the seeds about 2 inches deep, spaced 4 to 6 inches apart.  Thin the seedlings to 8 to 12 inches, because crowding can encourage diseases.
  4. Broad beans fix their own nitrogen into the soil and therefore don’t usually require additional feeding. .
  5. Pick the pods when they feel full. Since you’ll be eating the beans fresh, don’t wait until the pods start to dry. The older the pods get, the drier the beans will taste. If you harvest the pods while they are a little thinner than the average finger, you can cook them pod and all. 
  6. If you miss a harvest and your beans get a little too old and dry for fresh eating, you could still cook them and make a bean puree.

*The values are standard average per 100 grams and might change a bit.

Vegetables, Salad