"simy1" wrote in message
ups.com...
no need to cover, they should take at least 12F wtihout dying. for the
smaller favas, go to the Territorial Seeds website. I am shocked that
they do so well in sand, they have always been considered the ideal
clay vegetable.


Hmm, perhaps they do not necessarily prefer clay but simply do well in it in
contrast to other plants. These were not planted in pure sand. My raised
beds were occupied at the time so I just stuck them about the property among
the landscaping (mostly rhodies and azaleas) to see what would happen. The
sand has been amended over several years with kelp, cranberries (culls) and
lots of pine needles -- definitely acidic. Oh yes, lots of fish carcasses
get dug in also. But still it's mostly sand. I suspect the favas may not
actually have any soil preference. (?)

I am getting really intrigued by these things. Some years ago, inland, I
went on a kick of trying to grow veggies amongst my urban landscaping. The
results were not encouraging. I have always been limited on the amount of
real-estate I can afford so I try to utilize it to the maximum. These favas
may look silly growing hither and yon, but golly they sure seem productive.
I am surprised how well they compete with the shrubs. And they thrive under
benign neglect. Now that's my preferred operating mode. -- Karl