divaqs's Blog

Fava Beans - Overwintering
May 15, 2007 | 2:44 PM PST
Tags: fava , fava beans , winter garden , Aquadulce

One of the things I grow in my winter garden is Fava beans. Fava beans can be over wintered in zone 6 and above, which includes the Seattle region that I live in. I like keeping my garden as productive as I can year round, and growing fava beans has the advantage of helping me do that by leaving less area unused over the winter. They also have the advantage of being a nitrogen fixing plant, reducing later need for fertilizer. So I like over-wintering fava beans where I know I am going to have heavy feeding plants like corn grow the next summer.

My favorite fava bean is the Aquadulce variety. These make for a good dried bean that is comparable to Lima beans. These are also open pollinated, so I’ve been able to save the best of my beans and replant them the next fall, further improving my seed to my particular micro-climate from year to year. I am now on to the 3rd year of doing this.

I bought my original seed from Territorial seed, which describes this variety as:
“An early, long-podded fava, cultivated in Europe since the 19th century. Introduced by Territorial as perhaps the best tasting, big seeded fava. Dark green 6 inch pods are filled with 6-8 light green, slightly flattened, beans that turn a buff brown when dried. Substitute these in any dish calling for lima beans. Suitable for spring or fall sowing; plants grow to 30 inches.”

The disadvantage of over-wintering fava beans is that after planting them in about October, they take at least 6 months for them to be ready to harvest, so I find that the space isn’t freed up for planting until about June. This is fine for me for plants like corn that I can’t plant until that time, or for things I have been holding off on planting like late summer salad greens.

I’ve heard of some people being allergic to fava beans, so it is best to try a little first, but I’ve never personally encountered anyone who has been allergic, at least that I know of.

In the below picture you can see one of my smaller fava bean plants interplanted with some garlic that I also over-wintered.

My daughter’s cat is trying to get my attention and some love.