Fava Beans Up Up Up

Fava beans (broad beans in Europe) are very tasty, large beans that grow in the cool part of the spring. In cooler, milder climates they can grow over the winter and so can be fall planted. Here in upstate New York we plant them in very early spring (around the Equinox).

• Growing fava beans - we used this a guideline and then went with 1 per square foot.
• Why grow favas - they are a vetch, so most grow them as a green manure and plow them under. Or wait and get some green fava beans.
• Fava plant showing the branching - so pretty!
  
• Fava flowering clusters along the stem

This is a pic of our two week old fava beans starts - variety is "Aqua Dulce" from Bountiful Gardens. Very nice, vigorous as h*ll, they need warmth to germinate (more than 70F), but we just put them under the cool tubes and they popped up pretty fast. Hardening them off this week, planting them out this weekend with some plastic protection.

I love the branching and extra leaves that are sprouting lower down the stem. Very interesting - they like to become "shrub-like" and about 3 feet tall. We want them for the beans... to make some super-yummy food like this: