Favas are a nerveless - season crop that produces a harvest of tasty , meaty beans – and they make excellent companion plants !
Since there are different kinds of favas useable , it can be helpful to know how these various options will work in the garden .
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Favas grown as a cover crop.
Vicia faba , the botanic name for this species , is one of the old agricultural harvest around . There are three named assortment within the coinage , as well as various cultivars of each type .
Get to know these options so you could choose the one that are well suited to the length of your maturate time of year as well as your local growing conditions .
quick to see the fava of your dreams ? Keep read !
7 of the Best Types of Fava Beans
Before we get started , if you need a review of the best techniques for grow this leguminous plant , be certain to read ourcomplete guide to growing and caring for fava bean .
This specie is frequently subdivide into three main eccentric . allow ’s have a look at what makes them different from each other .
The large , flat - seeded eccentric you may be most familiar with is classified asV. fabavar.major .
Commonly called “ broad beans , ” their large seeds come in an regalia of colour depending on the variety , including snowy , tan , brown , green , or purple . These are unremarkably about an in in length and reckon standardised tolimas .
Another type of fava , assort asV. fabavar.equina , is commonly known as the “ horse cavalry bonce . ” These got their soubriquet from their use as a livestock forage , particularly for our equine Quaker , horses .
seed are medium - sized , rounded , and dimpled , and are ordinarily brown to olive green in colour . These are sometimes call in “ baby favas ” and are a democratic selection for fleeceable manure andcover cropping .
Learn more about horse bean in our consecrate article . ( come in shortly ! )
The smallest - seeded favas , V. fabavar.minor , have many different common name calling , let in tick or tic peas and pigeon beans . Each seed is about the size of it of a Lens culinaris .
Like horse beans , this legume has a traditional use as a livestock feed , but it can also be enjoyed in the kitchen .
Some relegate this type asV. fabavar.minuta . This type is another excellent option to use as a unripe manure or get across craw .
1. Aguadulce
Also known as ‘ Aquadulce , ’ this cultivar ofV. fabavar.majorbears eight- to nine - inch pods hold back seven to eight tan - colored seeds each .
‘ Aguadulce ’ plant reach three to four feet in height , and are dusty hardy to about 15 ° F .
This heirloom cultivar has a shorter spring up season , requiring just 70 to 90 days for a bound crop to mature .
‘ Aguadulce ’
you could buy ‘ Aguadulce ’ seeds in an salmagundi of parcel sizesat True Leaf Market .
2. Bell
Typically used as a cover crop or for livestock eatage , bell bean is a common name forV. fabavar.minor .
These are also sometimes called “ small - seed horse bean . ”
works reach two to five feet marvelous and are dusty hardy to 25 ° degree Fahrenheit .
Bell edible bean
Bell bean cum can be purchased in a natural selection of package sizesfrom lawful Leaf Market .
3. Crimson Flowered
Also known as ‘ Crimson Flowering , ’ thisV. fabavar.majorcultivar will stun and surprise fava aficionados with its magenta blooms .
And gardener are n’t the only single who ’ll be delighted – these flower are also highly attractive to pollinators .
The stout plants grow to about three feet tall and require niggling supporting .
‘ Crimson Flowered ’ make maturity in 90 day when grown in spring , and in 160 days for fall plantings , with seeds dry to a bright unripe chromaticity .
4. Diana
‘ Diana ’ is a high - yielding variety ofV. fabavar.major .
pod are three and a half to four inches long , produced on plants that are hardy to 10 ° farad .
‘ Diana ’
‘ Diana ’ seeds are useable in one - pound packsfrom C. S. Osborne and Company via Amazon .
5. Robin Hood
‘ Robin Hood ’ is a dwarf cultivar ofV. fabavar.majorthat originate only 12 to 18 inch magniloquent .
This thick cultivar produce pods that contain four to six green seeds each , with leaping crops maturing in 90 to 100 day .
6. Stereo
‘ stereo system ’ is a cultivar ofV. fabavar.majorthat is often mature for its fond , immature pods .
Plants pass three feet in elevation , comport pods that check five seed each .
While most broad beans have tough cum coats that should be peeled prior to eating , ‘ Stereo ’ was breed for slender , tender skin .
This cultivar requires 95 days to maturity for spring - plant crop .
‘ stereophonic ’
You ’ll find ‘ Stereo ’ seed available for purchasefrom Hirt ’s Garden Store via Amazon .
7. Sweet Lorane
A highly productive and insensate - audacious variety , ‘ Sweet Lorane ’ is likely a cultivar ofV. fabavar.equina , a potpourri of the species that are commonly know as “ horse cavalry beans . ”
This dual - function fava can be used as a top crop , and to bring about a tasty harvest .
Seeds are greenish to brown to tan , and half the size of all-embracing bean . And they have slender hide which means they do n’t necessitate to be undress before enjoy them .
Plants reach 30 inches tall , show good disease electrical resistance , and are stale sturdy to 10 ° farad . When mulched , they may be able to survive temperatures as low as 0 ° fluorine .
For ‘ Sweet Lorane , ’ count on 95 days to maturity for spring - sown crop , or 230 days for crop inseminate in fall .
‘ Sweet Lorane ’
you may buy ‘ Sweet Lorane ’ semen in 50 - gramme packetsfrom Botanical Interests .
Seven Ways to Fall for Favas
Favas make mythological works , and with seven different recommended options to summate to the garden , it ’ll be hard to resist their good luck charm .
A garden without legumes is a garden that needs more nitrogen fixers ! Read these articles next tolearn more about growing legume in your garden :
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Kristina Hicks - Hamblin
