Martoc fava
$4.00
(Vicia faba)
Small-seeded fava which has beautifully patterned seeds resembling pebbles you might find in a stream or on a beach. The ancestors of this fava are reputed to have been grown during the Middle Ages in the village of Martock, Somerset, England. Plants grow about 1.2 m/4’ tall, each producing numerous small pods. A Slow Food Ark of Taste variety. 125 days to maturity. 30 seeds/packet.
In stock
Plant same time as peas; do not like heat. Soak at least overnight to germinate before planting. Sow with the hilum (on the end) down, 2” deep, 4” apart for leaves; or for beans, in rows 6-12” apart with seed 8-12” apart or on a grid 8” apart. If lodging is a problem, put stakes at the corners of the patch and string around it. Water at flowering time and while pods are small to increase yield; stop when they start to dry down. Can eat young greens like spinach, either whole plant, or by pinching out tips after plant has produced five flower whorls, which will also improve bearing and reduce aphid problems. Immature pods can be eaten before they get stringy [about 3” long]; shelly beans when pods are clearly full. Dry beans can be harvested when pods turn black and shrivel and seeds cannot be dented with a thumbnail. Soak before cooking; tannins in seed coat can be reduced by pre-soaking before cooking in a baking soda solution (1 tsp./ lb. beans).