How to Plant, Grow, And Harvest Chickpeas, Garbanzo Beans
About Chickpeas
The chickpea is a bushy plant that reaches a height of about 18 inches (45 cm) and bears pairs of complex, dark-green leaves that resemble vetch. One or two big, cream-coloured, pea-like seeds are contained in each of the inflated, rectangular pods that measure approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) long and about as wide as chickpeas. Depending on the type, flowers could be violet or white.
● Common name. Chickpea, garbanzo, gram
● Botanical name. Cicer arietinum
● Origin. Southern Europe and India
Chickpea Quick Growing Tips
● Chickpeas should be planted in the garden around or a little earlier than the typical last spring cold period.
● By beginning chickpeas indoors in a peat or paper planter a few weeks before transferring them outside, the lengthy growing season that they require might be shortened.
● Place the chickpea and biodegradable container whole in the garden once the plant has reached a height of 4 to 5 inches (10–12 cm).
● Four to eight hoshould be grown by each household member.
Planting Chickpeas
● In bright sun, chickpeas grow. Under some shade, chickpeas will grow, but the production will be lower.
● Chickpeas should be grown in organically rich, soft soils. Before planting, improve planting beds with old fertilizer.
● Avoid sowing chickpeas in areas where green organic fertilizers have recently developed or in soil that is rich in nitrogen; doing so will only produce green, leafy vegetation rather than seeds.
● To the soil, add potassium and phosphorus.
Chickpea Planting Time
● Approximately 100 days went between planting and harvesting for the cool-season annual chickpea.
● Although they can withstand cold, chickpeas do best in climates with daily temperatures between 70 and 80 °F (21-26 °C) and nighttime temperatures that do not go below 65 °F (18 °C).
● As early as two or three weeks before the typical spring final frost, plant chickpeas in the garden.
● Chickpeas need a long growing season; to extend the growing season, start the plants indoors in a peat or paper pot and move them to the garden when they are 3 to 4 inches (7–10 cm) tall.
Planting And Spacing Chickpeas
● Chickpeas should be sown 3 to 6 inches (7-15 cm) apart and 1½ to 2 inches (5 cm) deep.
● Successful plants should be thinned to a spacing of 6 inches (15 cm). To avoid disturbing the roots, split the plants at soil level.
● Rows should be spaced 18 to 24 inches (45–61 cm) apart.
● To prevent seeds from cracking, avoid heavy watering after sowing and refrain from soaking seeds before planting.
● If grown somewhat crowded, chickpeas will assist one another.
Chickpea Companion Plants
● Plant chickpeas alongside summer savoury, potatoes, cucumbers, maize, strawberries, and celery.
● Never grow chickpeas alongside garlic.
Container Growing Chickpeas
● Although chickpeas can be grown in containers up to 8 inches deep, the amount of space needed to produce a harvest makes chickpeas an unsuitable crop for container farming.
Water And Feeding Chickpeas
● Once chickpeas have broken through the earth, keep chickpea planting beds equally moist. During flowering and pod production, water often.To prevent blooms and pods from falling off, avoid watering plants from above.
● As the temperature warms, add mulch to keep soil moist.
● Before planting, amend planting beds with old compost.
● Chickpeas with aged compost on the side in midseason. Be careful not to use nitrogen-rich fertilisers on planting areas. To produce nitrogen molecules that the plant requires, chickpeas, like other legumes, work in tandem with soil-dwelling bacteria that fix nitrogen.
Chickpea Care
● Chickpeas should not be handled if they are damp or heavily dew covered because doing so could spread fungal spores.
● Maintain weed-free planting areas, but carefully manage the area surrounding chickpeas to avoid upsetting the plant’s delicate root structure.
● Rotate legumes like chickpeas to enrich the soil with nitrogen.
Chickpea Pests
● Aphids, bean beetles, flea beetles, leafhoppers, and mites can all attack chickpeas.
● An insecticidal soap solution or a hose blast of water can be used to get rid of aphids, leafhoppers, and mites. Squash any eggs or parasites between your fingers and thumb. Remove huge infestations by pinching them out.
● The bean mosaic virus can spread by aphids.
● Maintain a clutter-free and clean garden so that pests cannot hide out there or overwinter there.
Chickpea Diseases
● The diseases anthracnose, mosaic, and blight can all affect chickpeas.
● Plant varieties resistant to disease.
● Maintain the garden tidy and clutter-free.
● To avoid spreading fungus spores, avoid handling moist plants.
● Diseased plants were removed, placed in paper bags, and discarded.
● Chickpeas are prone to a variety of soil-borne illnesses; reducing these illnesses by rotating beans so they do not grow in the same place for longer than three years.
Harvesting Chickpeas
● 100 days after planting, chickpeas are ready for harvest.
● Picking chickpeas for fresh consumption while the pods are still young and green allows for eating them similarly to snap beans.
● When the leaves have withered and turned brown, gather the entire plant to make dried chickpeas. The plant should then be placed on a flat, warm surface so the pods may dry out.
● As the pods split, collect the seed. When seeds are sufficiently dry, they scarcely dent when bitten.
Storing And Preserving Chickpeas
● Chickpeas that haven’t been shelled will last up to a week in the fridge.
● Chickpeas that have been dried and shelled can be stored for up to a year in a cold, dry location.
● It is possible to sprout, freeze, or can chickpeas.