Sharon - FAVAs have grown great for me here, although I've never grown more than a bed of them. I've actually produced bushels of huge beans from them. They are, however (and this is ironic, given AC's remarks), suceptibl to fungal attacks. Mine always got black growing tips in the early spring. A direct spray of fresh 508 (contrary to recommendations, as far as I can find, but provided by AB through ignorance) has always knocked the fungus (which will literally melt the plant) out within 24 hours. This coming season, I'll start the 508 treatments before seeding and continue at least monthly through their growth and see what happens.
I've been thinking, however, that Austrian Field Peas might be a good substitute. I've also been thinking that i FAVA was plowed down a few seasons in the same beds that maybe there wouldn't be fungal attacks on the FAVAs themselves, either. FAVAs are so in demand in the DC area and so hard to grow that I was once offered space in the desireable DuPont Circle market if I could promise a few weeks of FAVAS on my table. -Allan > Allen-I have never been able to grow favas here , maybe they needed a >special innocculant.I tried several times with seed from Bountiful, as well >as another place I can't remember. , perhaps fedco. The seed came up but >just sat there and then died. I'm not used to that in our garden I thought >it was because it wants an alkaline soil. anyone grow it here in the east? >USA? Opps , so you grow it, .Allen? what innocculant do you use, if any, and >where do you get the seed, do you save seed to use the next season?I tried >with great success Austrian feild peas with oats, as a cover crop.The oats >died by spring and I let the feild peas flower and set seed, scythed them >off and sowed buckwheat and clover. enough field peas came up from what had >shattered to bring me a crop of seed for the next season , as well as add >the om to the soil. I also got seed to use in another area. all from one >tiny pack of seed. As far as mache, i tried it once and found it flavorless >so , never grew it again. Didn't Allen Chadwick grow in California.My >experience is that what grows well in one place does not do well in others, >even in the same region. lot to learn :)sharon >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Allan Balliett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Friday, September 20, 2002 7:07 PM >Subject: Re: covers > > >> >My other favorites are crimson clover (beautiful flower) and fava >> >bean -- both are digested fairly easily by the soil when you turn >> >them in. >> >> Dave - Have you found an affordable source for fava as a cover crop? >> What about mache? thanks, -Allan >> >> PS In one of the lecture tapes, Alan Chadwick says that successive >> cover crops of fava (winter after winter) will remove fungal problems >> from the soil. Anyone had experience with this? He attributes this to >> the legume action (nodules) and considers the fava to be one of the >> most effective of the legumes >> >> >>
