Windsor Fava Bean (Vicia faba) A classic old English ‘broad bean’ that produces very large pods, containing 6-7 delicious seeds in each. These ancient plants can grow up to 4 feet tall under ideal conditions. Broad Windsor is intended for growing as a food crop but this legume is a wonderful source of nitrogen fixation for your soil. We follow our Fava Bean plots with nitrogen loving greens like Spinach and Brassica sp. Fresh or dried, all broad beans need to be cooked before eating in order to rid them of potentially toxic alkaloids. Try the young succulent leaves raw, or cooked much like spinach.
75-80 days to maturity
20 seeds per packet
Planting Instructions: Sow seeds early in the spring as soon as the soil can be worked, as fava beans prefer cool growing conditions. Plant seeds 1–2" deep and space them 6" apart in rows 18–24" apart. Choose a sunny location with well-drained soil and keep evenly watered during establishment. Plants may benefit from staking in windy areas. Harvest pods when young and tender, or allow them to mature for shelling or drying.
