Rolling in Fava Beans…
March 25, 2009
So, if you haven't grown Fava Beans before...You need too! This Vetch is even more effective at fixing Nitrogen in the soil than actual beans, is frost hardy, breaks up the soil, makes a great green manure AND produces super flavorful fruit. In Texas, you can seed this in fall and let them grow through the winter. Plants will bloom even through the cold weather then start producing fruit in Spring. The flowers are incredibly fragrant and when you break the pods open they have the same fragrance. Harvest the "peas" before you see them swelling too much in the pod, or harvest the entire pod early and eat whole. Make sure to save and dry some seed for your next fall planting. The foliage is also edible and tastes great mixed in with salads. Here are a couple of photos from my garden yesterday...
