Producing FAVA Seed

Fava Beans have an interesting upright growth, totem pole-like. They can reach 2 feet or more in height. There are some types that have a tendency to branch but most don't. Their flowers and young leaves are edible but they're favored for their shelled green beans and dry beans. The flowers are typical legume with the same self pollination tendency as garden peas although crossing can occur especially if plants of different varieties are in close proximity.  Sow the seeds early before the days grow too hot.  A late April sowing worked well for us here on Long Island with pods developing in June.  Even the large seeds shelled from green pods and boiled can have tough seed coats that must be peeled before eating.  Oh yes, there is a rare affliction called favism which is an allergic reaction to favas.  Apparently, acute renal failure is a consequence of the reaction and a blood transfusion is necessary for best survival rates.

Even if you're not a big fan of the flavor (try them with a nice chianti as long as you're not allergic), the plants are a very effective legume cover crop in some areas of the U.S. with the ability to fix large quantities of nitrogen. We'll try it again in the fall but I don't expect to be able to produce a dry seed crop.

They're a good trap plant for aphids and thrips. When you see the pests, pull the plants and destroy them. The tips with aphids can be pinched off and destroyed without affecting the harvest in most cases.

Pods of some varieties hang down from the stalk, others produce upright pods like the small seeded Eqyptian Fava.  This is an unusual purple flowering variety.

I've been puzzled by the lack of commercially available fava bean cultivars in the U.S. In Europe there are dozens of varieties available. This year we grew several types with limited success because of the early hot weather and persistant lack of rainfall. Fava is a good cool season crop suited to winter culture in the south or southwest and spring culture in the Pacific Northwest. The beautiful purple seeded Guatemalan Purple is available from Native Seed Search, Tucson, AZ 85705.

(Above- A mess of Windsor Favas waiting to be shelled for dinner.)

To save seed wait until the pods thoroughly dry on the stalks, be careful harvesting the dry seed since the pods do have a tendency to shatter easily. So far, growing favas on Long Island has not been the most productive experience and yet we managed to get a small seed crop from the dozen or so varieties that we trialed this year. I haven't even bothered to label the varieties separately because of the very small seed yield. Early next spring I'll plant this year's seed harvest in a block and see what happens. After all, they are the survivors of a brutal trial here and therefore are bound to be more adapted to this region.