Fava Beans
Culture: Favas tolerate frost and prefer daytime air temps below 75°. More heat can cause poor pod set, while in cooler climates a second flush can appear. Don’t delay: sow the large seeds 3–4" apart as early as peas. Usually harvested when the 2–3 light green beans in the 3–6" glossy pods reach the green shell stage—shelled beans can be squeezed out of their membranes after parboiling.
Staffer Emily Skrobis contests the need to peel each bean. She says, “I’d recommend that for dried favas, but fresh is another story. You lose a lot of flavor and food (and time!) that way. Keeping the membranes on alters the texture, of course, but I still thoroughly enjoy them. Homesteading is a lot of work and I try to avoid extra steps in processing, and so I decided to just get used to keeping on all tomato skins and fava membranes.” To avoid this issue altogether, you can harvest them young when pods and membranes are still tender.
Also called Broad Beans or Horse Beans. Favas are mainstays in many cultures from ancient Rome to modern-day Mexico, Egypt, Sudan, the Middle East, Brazil and India. Rich in fiber and iron and highest of all beans in protein. You can even eat the leaves!
Beans
Culture: Tender, will not survive frost. Inoculate with a legume inoculant, then plant seeds 3–4" apart in rows 24–30" apart after all danger of frost has passed and soil has warmed. Minimum germination soil temperature 60°; optimal range 70–80°. White-seeded beans are generally more sensitive to cold soil temps than dark-seeded varieties. Legumes have moderate fertility needs and can fix their own nitrogen.
Saving Seed: Saving bean seed is easy! Leave pods on the plants to dry. Hand shell, or stomp pods on a tarp. To ensure true-to-type seed, separate varieties by 30 feet.
Diseases:
- ANTH: Anthracnose
- BBS: Bacterial Brown Spot
- CBMV: Common Bean Mosaic Virus
- CTV: Curly Top Virus
- DM: Downy Mildew
- HB: Halo Blight
- NY 15: NY 15 Mosaic Virus
- PM: Powdery Mildew
- PMV: Pod Mottle Virus
- R: Rust
- SC: Sclerotina
White mold, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, affects more than 300 plant species. In beans, low humidity, good air circulation and wider spacing, both between plants and between rows, reduce the likelihood of this soil-borne infection.
Germination Testing
For the latest results of our germination tests, please see the germination page.
Our Seeds are Non-GMO
All of our seeds are non-GMO, and free of neonicotinoids and fungicides. Fedco is one of the original companies to sign the Safe Seed Pledge.
