Growing Broad Windsor Fava Bean Cover Crop Garden Seeds
How to Grow Broad Windsor Fava Bean Cover Crop Garden Seeds
Heirloom Broad Windsor fava bean cover crop is a cool weather garden crop best broadcasted directly in early spring or fall. For more traditional sowing, plant 1-2 Broad Windsor fava bean seeds 1" deep and 4-6" apart in Organically rich, well-drained garden soil in full sun to partial shade. Open-pollinated fava beans are often presoaked overnight to accelerate germination prior to garden sowing.
Non-GMO Broad Windsor fava bean germinates in 7-14 days, thinning back to one plant 8-10" apart in the garden as second set of true leaves establish. Legume seeds are often inoculated with Rhizobium bacteria at time of garden sowing. Although heirloom Vicia faba does not have too many pests or insects, it is known to be susceptible to leaf spotting diseases such as mosaic viral disease, bacterial blight, and slight anthracnose. Allow soil to dry between waterings.
About Broad Windsor Fava Bean Seeds
Broad Windsor was listed in 1863. This fava's glossy green pods contain 5-7 oblong, flat, beans. Fava's can fix up to an incredible 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre. "Sixty pounds of nitrogen per acre is enough to feed a succeeding crop of beets, carrots, etc. One-hundred pounds will feed corn, lettuce, or squash. Fava's two-hundred pounds of nitrogen per acre is sufficient to grow the heaviest feeders--the Brassica's."
Madalyn A. Klenske says "Vicia faba is a member of the vetch family, a group of leguminous plants, by and large, climbing herbs, cultivated for forage and soil improvement. Generally, the fava is an erect, large-leaved, single-stalked plant, two to seven feet tall, which assumes a full, bushy appearance at maturity. In the home garden, the tall, upright plants are often sown densely, as the plants physically support each other in this pattern, obviating the need for staking. Clusters of fragrant purple or white flowers on short stalks develop at the axil of the plant, which is the angle between the upper side of a leaf or stem and the supporting stem or branch. The seedpods that ripen from the fertilized flowers are numerous: there can be 15-60 pods found on each plant, each pod containing 3-12 beans, depending on variety.
All parts of the fava plant are edible. The seeds are high in protein, vitamins, and minerals, and have been a cornerstone of human nutrition for thousands of years. The beans may be eaten fresh and green, or dried for future use. Properly dried beans will keep for three years. Many people enjoy the leaves of the fava plant, preparing them similarly to spinach.
1929 Steele Briggs Seed house says...
English or broad bean. Very hardy; plant as soon as the soil is in good shape in the spring. Plant 4 inches apart and 2 inches deep in rows 4 feet apart. To ensure well filled pods, pinch off the top as soon as the pods begin to set.
Broad Windsor Fava Bean Benefits
Non-GMO Vicia faba is a popular cover crop traditionally sown in the fall to replenish nitrogen content in garden soil. Whether grown between seasons or alongside a crop as a nitrogen-boosting companion plant, heirloom fava bean seeds can be sown nearly any time of the year. To eat fava beans, shell the entire pod and cook the beans. Fresh fava beans can be stored with oil in the freezer, and keep dried bean safely in a cool dark spot. Fall planted fava beans will mature quickly to supplement depleted nitrogen, but will not fruit until 8-9 months after garden sowing.
Wholesale Non-GMO Broad Windsor Fava Bean Cover Crop Garden Seeds Per Package:
- 30 g - Wholesale - Approximately 15 Seeds
- 4 oz - Bulk Seeds - Approximately 60 Seeds
- 1 lb - Bulk Seeds - Approximately 240 Seeds
- 5 lb - Bulk Seeds - Approximately 1,200 Seeds
- 25 lb - Bulk Seeds - Approximately 6,000 Seeds
Heirloom Broad Windsor fava bean cover crop garden seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping on orders over $45.
