Local Green Broad (Fava) Bean Seeds 50g

Local green broad (fava) bean, Vicia faba, is one of Egypt's most beloved winter crops. This local strain produces generous, plump green pods packed with smooth beans that carry a sweet, buttery, gently nutty flavour. Pick them young for the tender green beans loved in fresh Egyptian cooking, or let the pods dry on the plant for storing. As a member of the Fabaceae family, it also gives back to your soil.

Planting

In Egypt this is a cool-season winter crop. Sow in autumn so plants grow through the mild winter and mature before the summer heat, which it cannot tolerate above about 27 C. In the Nile Delta, sowing around 1 November is best; in warmer Upper Egypt you can begin from mid-to-late October. Direct-sow in the final position, as the long taproot dislikes transplanting. Place seeds about 5 cm deep, spacing them 15-23 cm apart, with rows roughly 45 cm apart, in full sun (6 or more hours) with fertile, well-drained soil. Seedlings emerge in about 7-15 days.

Fertilizing

As a legume, fava bean fixes its own nitrogen through Rhizobium leguminosarum, so inoculate the seed with this bacterium before the first planting in new ground to boost yield and reduce the need for added nitrogen. Where soil phosphorus is low, band phosphorus fertiliser at planting to encourage strong early seedling growth.

Care

Water well once flowering begins and again about two weeks later to help pods set; container plants need watering more often. When the lowest flowers have set small pods, pinch out the soft shoot tips to reduce black bean aphid (blackfly) and lift yield. Watch for chocolate spot and broad bean rust. Harvest while pods are full but small and the bean's scar is still white or green; leave pods to dry on the plant for dried beans.