Chickpeas
Chickpeas
Depending on site, chickpeas can be sown direct from late March to early April and if required successionally throughout the season until mid June. Germination is rapid in warm weather, but in cold wet soils seeds and young plants are prone to damping off.
Chickpea crops are best suited to well-drained loam and clay loam soils that are neutral to alkaline (pH 6.0 to 9.0) and have good water holding capacity. Sowing will vary between varieties, but can start as early as mid May to the start of July.
Chickpeas will be ready for picking about 100 days after you plant them. If you plan to eat them fresh, harvest them while the pods are still small and green, then eat them like snap beans. If you prefer to dry them, wait for the leaves to wither and turn brown, then pull the whole plant.
These delicious and tender chickpeas are the harvest of the fourth year of British production. Grown just outside Norwich in Norfolk, the weather has been especially kind to them - they ripened early and harvest was much more straightforward than in previous years.
The seeds germinated easily and the plants grew well with little more than sunshine, occasional watering and admiration. They did not need staking and had pretty little white flowers in spring that turned into cute green pods throughout the summer.
Chickpeas are an annual legume that is planted in the spring and harvested in the late summer after a long growing season. What we call chickpeas or garbanzo beans aren't botanically peas, they are seeds that grow in small seed pods. Most chickpeas are harvested after the seeds have dried on the plant.
Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, can be a rewarding crop to raise. They are commonly used for human consumption, and product quality after harvest is key to maximizing your return
Chickpeas have also been connected to the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. They are high in beneficial polyunsaturated fats like omega 3 fatty acids, and have been shown to help lower LDL cholesterol levels.