Chickpea or garbanzo bean is a member of the legume family. They have a mild earthy flavor and are very nutritious. They are high in fiber and protein and are a good source of iron, phosphorus, and folic acid.
These beans can be used in many recipes, including stews, curries, salads, and hummus. Therefore, if you are looking for a new and exciting vegetable to add to your garden, you should grow chickpeas.
What Are Chickpeas?
Chickpeas are scientifically known as Cicer arietinum. They are the earliest known legumes that have been around as early as 8500 BC. They were first grown in Turkey and other Mediterranean countries. But thanks to its growing popularity, it is loved globally.
There are two types of chickpeas: desi and kabuli. Desi chickpeas are commonly found in South Asia and the Middle East. The beans are smaller and darker colored with a thicker coat. They have an earthy flavor and hold their shape when cooked, making them more suitable for curries and stews.
Kabuli chickpeas are more common in American and European grocery stores. These beans are large and lighter colored with a smoother coat. They have a mild, nutty flavor and a creamy texture when cooked.
They are perfect for hummus, falafel, and salads. This chickpea type is more popularly grown in a backyard vegetable plot than the other one.
The following steps provide detailed instructions on how you can grow chickpeas:
When To Grow Chickpeas
Chickpeas are a cool season crop, meaning most of the growth happens during cooler months, like late fall, winter, and early spring. They should ideally be planted in the spring with a soil temperature of up to at least 50 degrees F. Once planted, they need a long, warm growing season.
If you live in a cold climate, plant your chickpeas indoors in a peat or paper pot so that they can fully mature before summer ends. Sow your chickpeas seeds as early as 2 or 3 weeks before the average last frost date.
They are frost tolerant but grow best in temperatures of 70 and 80ºF and nothing below 65ºF. Once the roots are 3 to 4 inches, you can transplant your chickpeas to the garden.
Where Do Chickpeas Grow
The location of your chickpea plant can affect its growth. Therefore, you should carefully select a site ideal for the plant. Chickpeas should be grown in full sun with well-draining, fertile soil, so select an area in the garden or indoors with full sun exposure.
Ensure that plants are not exposed to extended periods of heat as this stunted growth or kills the plants completely. Also, do not plant chickpeas in the same place where you grew other legumes the year before.
How To Grow Chickpeas
Chickpeas have long growing seasons and take up to 100 days to mature and harvest. Their seeds do not require any treatment before sowing. They can be sown directly into the garden or indoors in pots and transplanted into the garden once established.
Direct Sowing
Before sowing the seeds, prepare your soil. Loosen its texture by removing large lumps or compacted patches. Remove stones, roots, weeds, and any other debris that hinder growth.
Also, ensure the soil is rich with organic material and well-draining. Waterlogged soil can affect growth.
Treat the legume seed with inoculant if you deem it necessary. This ensures the chickpea has beneficial nitrogen-fixing bacteria when it germinates.
Sow seeds directly in the garden bed about 1.5-2 inches deep and 4 inches apart. Water them thoroughly and keep the soil evenly moist.
Seeds should germinate within 10-30 days, depending on the weather.
Once seedlings emerge, thin them to 6 inches apart and protect them from pests, pets, and extreme weather until they are established.
Indoor Pots
Chickpea plants are short and bushy, making them ideal for container growing.
Before planting the seeds, ensure you have the right kind of pots. Choose a pot with a diameter of at least 10 inches and a depth of 8 inches. Ensure the pot has large drainage holes at the bottom to prevent waterlogging, which can damage chickpea plants.
Chickpeas do not transplant well, so opt for a pot that will biodegrade made from paper or peat seedlings. These can be planted directly into the ground as opposed to plastic or ceramic containers.
Fill your pot with a moist potting mix.
Sow one to two seeds about 1 to 2 inches deep in each pot. Ensure you start the seeds about four weeks before the last anticipated frost date.
Water the pot and place them near a window with direct sunlight. Give them twice-daily waterings if it gets hot.
Chickpeas are easy to maintain if they are grown in the right conditions.
Light
Chickpeas are full-sun plants, meaning they need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. This is crucial for healthy growth and development.
They might need afternoon shade in extremely hot weather. However, they need adequate morning sunlight. If not, they will not flower or produce pods.
Soil
Chickpeas can survive in most soil conditions, but for optimal growth, there are certain conditions. These legumes thrive in well-draining soil because waterlogged soil can cause root problems and stunted growth.
The soil should have a loamy texture as these provide good drainage and aeration for the roots. If the soil has too much clay, amend it with compost or sand to improve drainage.
The pH level of the soil also matters. It should be neutral to slightly alkaline, ideally between 7.0 and 8.0 pH range. If your soil pH falls outside this range, consider a soil test to find a suitable solution.
Lastly, you should check the salinity of your soil. Chickpeas cannot grow in salty soils as this can significantly reduce germination rates and overall yield.
Water
Chickpeas thrive in moist conditions. Give your plants an inch of water weekly if the climate is moderately warm with no rain. In hot climates, they need more water. The top 2 inches of the soil should be moist, and water the plants slowly so that it reaches the roots.
Water requirements also depend on the growth stage. These legumes need consistent moisture during germination and the vegetative stage. The soil should be moist evenly during these stages. Once the plants have matured, you can reduce watering frequencies.
Temperature and Humidity
Chickpeas need warm but not hot weather. They thrive in daytime temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees F and nighttime temperatures between 65 to 70 degrees F.
They can tolerate moderate humidity. In cool climates, an early fall frost affects the growing season if the chickpeas are not fully matured.
Fertilizer
Chickpeas can feed on nitrogen in the air and flourish on nitrogen-deficient soils. Therefore, they do not need to be fertilized with nitrogen. You should focus on using fertilizer high in phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients to promote foliage growth.
If you start with rich, fertile soil, you may not need to fertilize. To avoid over-fertilizing, sprinkle a small amount of organic granular fertilizer around the plants every six weeks, making sure to avoid getting it on the stems
Pruning
Chickpeas do not require pruning, but they do benefit from thinning. Thinning is the process of selectively removing some seedlings to create space for the remaining plants to thrive. It is different from pruning, where branches or stems of a plant are removed.
Chickpeas need to be thinned out. Once the seedlings are a few inches tall, seedlings at a surface level should be cut to leave a few inches of space between each plant. Do not pull out the seedlings like you are pulling weeds, as this will damage the plant roots.
After 100 days, your chickpeas will be ready to harvest, provided they were grown in the right conditions and weather. You can harvest your chickpeas when they are fresh or dry.
Fresh Chickpeas
Fresh chickpea pods are green, plump, and firm. They are in the initial stages of swelling and turning into their characteristic round shape. They should not be fully mature or dry and are slightly larger than an uncooked green bean.
Once you open the pod and taste the chickpea, it should taste like snap beans. You can carefully snip off the plant if you want fresh chickpeas usinf sharp pruners or scissors.
Dried Chickpeas
If you want dried chickpeas, ensure the plant is ready for harvesting. The leaves should have dried out, and the stems turned brown and dry. The pods should be completely dry and turned brown or beige.
If you open the pods, the seeds inside should be firm to touch. Harvesting the dried chickpea is the most common way.
Once you are sure they are fully dry, pull the entire plant, including the roots. Place the plant on a warm, flat surface and let it dry for the pods to split open and release the dried chickpeas.
Chickpeas are susceptible to pests infestations. These are some of the pests that could affect the chickpea plants.
1. Aphids
Aphids can cause severe damage when infestation is high. These insects will lead to deformed leaves and shoots and encourage the growth of sooty mold. This will affect the crop yield and eventually kill the plants.
Therefore, you should be on the lookout for these insects. One of the simplest ways to get rid of aphids is to use a strong blast of water. You can also apply neem oil or homemade soap solutions.
2. Beet Worm
Beet worms can cause irregularly shaped holes in foliage and develop winding white trails on the leaf surface. If damage is extensive, the entire leaf may dry out and drop from the plant and reduce crop yield.
Chickpeas should be planted in early winter instead of spring to prevent infestation. In spring, the populations of the insects are at less damaging levels. Infestation can also be controlled through the application of appropriate chemical insecticides.
Disease
1. Ascochyta Blight
Ascochyta is a fungal disease and a major problem encountered by chickpea growers. It causes brown spots on young leaves and lesions on the stems, causing them to break off. These symptoms lead to seedlings drying up and drying.
To avoid this disease, apply all planting seeds with a registered fungicide properly to ensure good coverage. Apply an ascochyta fungicide approximately 4-6 weeks after sowing and monitor the crop 10–14 days after application.
2. Fusarium Wilt
Fusarium wilt is another fungal disease caused by a soil-inhabiting fungus. It causes the leaves on infected plants to turn yellow and fall. The plant eventually dies.
Another symptom is the reddish-brown discoloration inside the tissue of the stem, which can be seen when cut. You can reduce the spread of Fusarium wilt by limiting overhead watering, sanitizing equipment, and planting resistant cultivars.
3. Botrytis Gray Mold
Botrytis gray mold is caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea. It affects plants that grow in cool, wet conditions. It is characterized by brown blotches that become covered with a dusty mold on the leaves, stems, and flowers of plants.
Spray your plant with a solution containing neem oil extract as a natural preemptive measure to prevent this disease. You can also treat your plants regularly with an organic fungicide that contains sulfur or copper as the active ingredient.
Storing Chickpeas
After harvesting your chickpeas, you should store them properly.
Fresh chickpeas should be packed in an air-tight plastic bag or container and kept in the fridge. They last 3 to 5 days. You can cook them and freeze them. This will last for three months.
Dried chickpeas can last up to 12 months in an air-tight glass jar. Before storing the chickpeas, they should pasteurized to kill insects and their eggs.
Distribute chickpeas on a baking sheet.
Place them in the oven at 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
Alternatively, you can place the chickpeas in freezer bags and leave them in the freezer for at least 48 hours.
Afterward, transfer the chickpeas into an air-tight container.
