Chickpea

What Chickpea is

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is an annual vegetable of the Legume family (Fabaceae). Chickpea is a delicate, graceful plant that branches close to the ground and is usually about 60 cm tall.

One or two seeds are carried in numerous round pods about four months after sowing.

It is a cool-weather crop and can be sown like peas in early spring. The plants are best thinned to about a metre apart because of their spreading habit.

They do not need support and require little weeding, and are quite drought-resistant.

The dry pods are harder to process than those of other pulses: the shells have a lanolin-like stickiness and burst rather than split when threshed by hand. I recommend placing them on a tarp on the ground or in a large container such as a box or a chest and stirring them. This makes them easier to remove.

Avoid disturbing the plants’ roots.

Chickpea is a drought-tolerant legume with nutritious seeds — for hummus, stews and salads.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 88%
• Seeds per packet: 22–31 pcs (10 g)
• Seed origin: Poland
• Sowing: February – May; direct
• Harvest: June – September
• Position: sunny spot

When to sow Chickpea

Chickpea seeds are sown in February – May. The crop is harvested from June to September. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow Chickpea

• Sowing method: direct
• Depth: 4–5 cm
• Spacing: 10–15 cm in the row, 40 cm between rows
• Germination: 7–14 days at 15–20 °C
• Position: sunny spot

Sow seeds at a depth of 1 cm, one seed per pot, in pots that can be transplanted into the ground. Do not soak the seeds before sowing. Transplant when the seedlings are at least 10 cm tall, taking care with the roots. Grow in full sun in rich soil with good moisture retention. Space the plants 15 cm apart. apart. The plants have shallow root systems that are easily damaged by cultivation, so take care when weeding around the plants once they are established. Avoid watering from above.

Sow in a sunny spot in light soil; does not tolerate waterlogging.

Harvest and use

Harvest when the plants turn yellow and the pods dry out.

Frequently asked questions

When should Chickpea be sown?

The recommended sowing months are February – May. Sowing method: direct.

How many seeds are in the packet?

The packet contains 22–31 seeds, pack size 10 g.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 88%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.