When to plant fava beans in Oregon and Washington

In Portland: Plant fava beans from seed, directly in the garden, Mar 1 – Apr 5. In Bend: Apr 28 – Jun 2. Find your city below.

Unlike other beans, favas love cool weather. West of the Cascades they can also be sown in October to overwinter for an early crop.

Fava beans planting dates by city

City	Plant in the garden
Astoria, OR	Mar 25 – Apr 29
Baker City, OR	Apr 20 – May 25
Bend and Redmond, OR	Apr 28 – Jun 2
Burns, OR	Apr 30 – Jun 4
Coos Bay and North Bend, OR	Mar 25 – Apr 29
Eugene, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Gresham, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Klamath Falls, OR	Apr 28 – Jun 2
Medford, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Pendleton, OR	Mar 20 – Apr 24
Portland, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Roseburg, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Salem, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 5
The Dalles, OR	Mar 20 – Apr 24
Wilsonville and Canby, OR	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA	Mar 25 – Apr 29
Bellingham, WA	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Ellensburg, WA	Apr 1 – May 6
Everett, WA	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Forks, WA	Mar 25 – Apr 29
Moses Lake, WA	Mar 20 – Apr 24
Olympia, WA	Mar 18 – Apr 22
Omak and Okanogan, WA	Apr 1 – May 6
Seattle and Tacoma, WA	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Spokane, WA	Apr 1 – May 6
Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA	Mar 20 – Apr 24
Vancouver, WA	Mar 1 – Apr 5
Walla Walla, WA	Mar 20 – Apr 24
Wenatchee, WA	Mar 20 – Apr 24
Yakima, WA	Mar 27 – May 1

Prepare the bed: loosen the soil and mix in an inch or two of compost.
Plant seeds on your city's dates, 1 to 2 inches deep, 6 inches apart.
Keep the soil evenly moist until sprouts appear, which can take one to three weeks in cool soil.
Harvest: Pick pods when they bulge with beans but are still green. Shell the beans and slip off the pale skins for the sweetest flavor.

Black aphids gather on the growing tips in late spring. Pinch off the tips once pods start forming.