Tag: fava beans

Beans, kale

It’s been coolish, but Soil temps are over 60, and we have some warm weather coming up. Planted green beans, wax beans, and some marigolds in west e. I put seeds I saved from last year on the corner nearest the neighbors house to see if they grow as well as the purchased ones.

Planted runner beans and Romano beans and nasturtium in south d- where the broad bean favas failed to over winter. I guess I’ll try them again next year? The “cover crop” favas look great, so maybe I’ll have some small beans again. All new beans went under robin baskets.

Added a few more peas to the pea bed, and put kale seeds around the outside.

Transplanted the last couple of late planted peppers, and up potted two tomato sprouts and moved them to the greenhouse, where everything is looking good on a seed mat on the ground.

Also harvested some mojito!

Finally cooler

It’s been too hot lately- we had a week over 90- and I’ve been hiding out from the sun. Some plants are very happy though.

I cut the favas and pulled the beans. I think I want to try a different variety and next year, though.

I also pulled the rest of the garlic to cure.

It was the first good sized harvest- with Romano beans, patty pan, zucchini, yellow squash, plump blueberries, thornless blackberries, and thinned out carrots. And some nice sized artichokes.

The flowers are pretty too

Also- I planted the last straggler pepper into a bag, and moved one of the lavender stems I’m trying to propagate into a little pot.

Favas

I obviously did not pay enough attention, and it looks like a lot of my favas started drying. That’s great, but since I had so much spoilage last year I assumed that the black pods were diseased and cut down the plants that had them. Fortunately I caught myself and consulted the trusty internet. I’m going to peel what I pulled and see what I got.

I pulled some more garlic today. The “silver and white” variety is smallish, and the size of the music is all over the place- but they look healthy. It’s very warm outside so I hope they (and your onions) cure in the shade spot I built for them.

Other things are looking up in the garden. I increased watering to 80 minutes to offset the heat. Had a few more sungolds.

Last week

It’s still been cold and gloomy. Beans are coming up, green sungolds are starting, snap peas are getting gobbled up. Hoping for sunshine and slightly higher temps this week. (Also, I planted basil starts and beet greens in the beds, and moved the mystery tomato next to the ground cherries.) oh and spruce tips finally came. Picked the tips off all the favas because aphids started showing up.

Still giving

Good haul today- tomatoes are still looking ok- we might have some cool weather coming up, so I’ll keep an eye on them. (I’m pulling the tomatoes early to ripen inside, anything orange).

The jalapeños never got very big, but they look plump and healthy. I’ll need to remember to pull them before a cold snap.

Look at this enormous marigold! It’s from whatever seeds I sprinkled last year at the base of the rocks.

Squash are getting powdery mildew. Happens every year. Delicata look established, which is good. Prolly have another week or so of summer squash.

The okra is still going!

Peas, kale, and favas are getting started.

Looks like it’s almost grape time- we’re going to make jelly this year.

Planting fall

Planted and harvested a bunch. Made pasta salad, roasted carrots, and carrot top pesto (garlic, lime juice, cilantro, garbanzo)

Planted more carrots. Btw the musico carrots were the clear winner this year. Purple snap did nothing (well, I got one.)

Planted fava, kale (micro kale hopefully works ok), chard in South C

Planted peas, and kale in West E (fava bed)

Planted arugula, spinach, mache in plant bags. Fertilized most of everything.

Gotta screw up at least once

Well- I finally made the call on the fava beans and cut them all down (mostly- there are a couple of new shoots I left.)

I think the majority of the damage came from aphids (black flies). There was damage to leaves and the stalks, and some pods burst open and some didn’t mature correctly (probably bacteria brought in and nurtured by the flies. I found a couple of good articles about controlling them – links are deactivated

riversidegardencentre. blog/broad-beans-and-the-dreaded-blackfly

growing-guides. .uk/blackfly-on-broad-beans/

Basic recommendations are-

  • pinch off top of plant where they like to be.
  • Plant companion plants that bring in predators – oregano, dill, allysium
  • Plant things black flies like better- nasturtium
  • Soapy or essential oil treatment
  • Manual squishing!

Anywho- I’m going to see what I can salvage in the way of beans. I would still plant these even if I can’t get beans from them, because of the handy hearty early greens and the bonus nitrogen fixing.

Here are some fava beans horror shots.