Regular price $4.50
Unit price per
Winter Greens and Summer Fava Beans 'Vespa' Vicia faba Small-seeded winter fava bean for winter greens, fresh beans, dry beans and cover cropping. Relatively
easy to grow.
The secret is out: fava bean leaves are edible, tasty, and nutritious. Selectively harvest leaves during the winter for salads or cooking greens. The texture of leaves is soft, and they have a mild, subtle bean flavour. In the summer, plants flower and produce edible beans that have a wide range of culinary uses. Fava flowers are especially pretty; our guests always comment on them. Vespa, hailing from the UK and bred specifically for winter growing, tolerates winter cold and prolonged rain better than large-seeded fava beans. It seems to survive down to about -10°C, although we are still testing this.
For bean production, this variety has high yield potential, which can be realized with fertile soil and good potassium levels. The photo showing the plant with pods is a single plant. Plants send up multiple stalks that reach 4-5' high. Harvest pods when they are plump; shell, and steam or sautee the beans. I find they freeze well after blanching. Dried beans may also be used by rehydrating and cooking. Beans are around 1⁄2” in diameter.
Growing: Direct seed in fall. Fava beans require cool soil to germinate. Plant in fall, 2" deep. For greens production, space plants 3" apart. For bean production, space plants widely, 2-3' apart, to minimize Chocolate Spot fungal disease. Fava beans require quite a bit of water, so they perform especially well on heavier, well-structured soil. Use an appropriate inoculant to facilitate nitrogen fixation.
Dry growing (growing without irrigation): Fall-planted favas won't require any winter or spring irrigation, assuming you get regular rains during those periods. Mulch in late spring to conserve soil moisture. If trying to maximize yield, plant into heavier soils or irrigate once flowering starts. Applying a liquid potassium fertilizer may help yield.
Thank you to Real Seeds UK for providing our stock seed.
Shipping
Shipping Information
Canada Orders: When an order is placed it is processed within two weeks maximum. Packages are sent with Canada Post standard mail.
Our products are also available online at Wildwood Outdoor Living Centre.
We offer shipping within Canada exclusively at this time.
Shipping and Handling Rates within Canada
|
Purchase Quantity |
Shipping Rate |
|
1 to 5 packages |
$5.95 |
|
6 to 20 |
$9.50 |
|
21 to 36 |
$19.50 |
|
37 to 50 |
$25.50 |
|
50 to 75 |
$38.50 |
|
75 to 100 |
$42.50 |
|
100 to 125 |
$47.50 |
|
125 to 150 |
$52.50 |
Contact us directly for wholesale inquiries: masha@eagleridgeseeds.com
About our Seed Packets
We use simple thick Kraft paper envelopes and sealed plastic bags to protect seeds from light and moisture. They are shipped in bubble wrap envelopes for extra protection. Store them in a cool dry place in this packaging for an extended shelf life.
Approximate Seed Count per Package:
- Tomatoes - 15-20 seeds
- Endangered Tomatoes - 10-15 seeds or noted
- Peppers - 15 seeds
- Endangered Peppers - 10 seeds
- Herbs - 25-30 seeds unless otherwise noted
- Flowers - 25-30 seeds
- Endangered Flowers & Herbs - 10 - 15 seeds. Please refer to item listings for more information.
- Cabbage - 20 seeds
- Broccoli - 40 - 50 seeds
- Perennial Broccoli - 20 seeds
- Celery - 40 seeds
- Chard - 35 seeds
- Lettuce - 50 seeds
- Endangered lettuce - 25 seeds
- Shallots - 35-40 seeds
- Onions - 25 seeds
- Earth Chestnut - 20 seeds
- Beans - 20 seeds or noted
- Greens - 30-40 seeds or noted
- Parsley - 50 seeds
- Walking Onions - 5 bulbils
- Endangered Squash - 10 seeds
Store Locations
You can find Eagleridge Seeds in these fine stores:
Sweet Meadows Market
2957 Church Way
Milk Bay, BC
Oak Bay Home Hardware
1911 Oak Bay Ave.
Victoria, BC
Country Grocer
374 Lower Ganges Rd.
Salt Spring Island, BC
Wildwood Outdoor Living
4660 Elk Lake Dr.
Victoria, BC
Wildwood Express now sells our seeds online! They offer Canada-wide shipping. See our Wildwood Collection live on their site.