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I'm just going to have to try those crops again . I
think it was before bd that I tried the maches, I've changed since then.!thanks
for the advice.
I've grown my own seed for years, easy to do for garden scale plantings. Obviously you need more for a CSA operation. You might buy a bulk order for the first year and grow it out. Both set copious amounts of seed. In fact, mache does great as a volunteer crop -- let it seed once and you will never have to sow it again. I believe Territorial Seed would sell a pound amount, no doubt other venders as well. 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. Maybe the temp/humidity there. I grow them as a cool season crop, out by June. I get some black tips at the end, and some black fly but never been a serious problem. Using 508 fits. Sharon said: Allen-I have never been able to grow favas here , maybe they needed a I've grown it in Or and CA, where soils tend to be acid. Never had any problem, never needed an innoculant. Note that there are specific varieties of fava, some not cold tolerant at all. Windsor is the most popular in the trade and it's not my favorite for either cold tolerance or flavor. Territorial Seed has a good list of varieties. I don't know if a specific innoculant is marketed, I would look for a vetch innoculant since they are related. The corollary is that if vetch grows wild in your area, you probably have the bacteria present, just boost it with compost. I've used garden innoculant in the past, but don't bother now. BD compost seems to get them the bacteria they need, seems to be sufficient root nodules. BTW, after compost tea treatment, I had what appeared to be nodules on poppy plants this year -- dwarf variety of papver rhoes was 4-5 feet high. I had no idea they formed symbiotes. Makes you wonder how many other non-legumes might also be interacting with the azobacter. As far as mache, i tried it once and found it flavorless I find it a delicious lettuce-flavored green, but with more flavor than lettuce. Yum. It does become tougher with age, so gather it young and juicy. Incidentally, it is one of the few plants that actually can grow in winter (as opposed to sitting there dormant) under cool, low-light conditions. Great for the rainy Pacific NW. David Robison Stellar Processes 1033 SW Yamhill Suite 405 Portland, OR 97205 (503) 827-8336 www.ezsim.com |
- Cover crops Teresa Seed
- cover crops Dave Robison
- kentjamescarson
