Growing Fava beans, who knows about them.

[Anniekay]

I've never grown Fava beans but I read that you can grow them as a cover crop and that they take the cold. Since I live in S. Georgia, I thought I could grow them here fall through winter, BUT....

I don't know anything about a Fava bean: never ate one or cooked one and, I'm kinda doubtfull that I even know what one looks like !! All I know is that in the Silence of the Lambs Hannibal Lecter prepared them with, ...oh, nevermind that !!

So, can anyone tell me something about Fava beans ?

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I call them 'Broad Beans', love them, a nice big , flat bean with a good flavour. floury if they get too ripe, then hard. They will take an English winter, plant mine end of August through September and they can survive a hard frost or being buried in snow, no problem. I had to buy some seed last year, so planted the lot, far more than I normally would , so I can get seed to plant next year and dig in as green manure. They will grow through the season when I am not growing anything much but alliums, so ideal for that. Only problems I have ever had is mice eating the seed, I germinate in pots on the greenhouse shelf they can't reach and plant out, and pigeons pulling the young plants. Pigeons are nervous of traps and a bit of chiken wire puts them off even if it is not tight round.

 

[Anniekay]

Thank you very much Oliver !! I'm going to try them next year in my fall garden. Usually I plant just peas, peas, and more peas but I always have too many peas ( I get sick of eating them and run out of freezer room) and thought I might try fava beans along with the peas, half and half, for more variety in my diet.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Forgot to add, when they are grown and flowering take of the top four inches or so at the tips, it stops blackfly finding them. Dad used to cook and eat these as greens, but not my cup of tea.

 

[headfullofbees]

I tend to plant my broad beans in spring; they will take the frost, but I live in an area that's very windy in the winter, so protecting them is more bother than getting the crop 4 weeks early is worth. Planted in spring, they're the easiest beans to grow.
Their flavour is nothing like pole beans & can be an acquired taste, although I like them lots/
You can expect up to four stems per plant & there is little difference in the crop between long pod & short pod varieties.
If you cut them down to the ground, they may come again, giving a smaller but useful crop 3-4 months later, if the weather is suitable.

 

[Anniekay]

I tend to plant my broad beans in spring; they will take the frost, but I live in an area that's very windy in the winter, so protecting them is more bother than getting the crop 4 weeks early is worth. Planted in spring, they're the easiest beans to grow.
Their flavour is nothing like pole beans & can be an acquired taste, although I like them lots/
You can expect up to four stems per plant & there is little difference in the crop between long pod & short pod varieties.
If you cut them down to the ground, they may come again, giving a smaller but useful crop 3-4 months later, if the weather is suitable.

Thank you @headfullofbees , your post is very helpful !!