Plant Profile: Chickpea

Chickpeas (or gabanzo beans) are cool season annuals, requiring about 2.5 months to reach harvest. These ancient crops that have been cultivated in India, the Middle East and areas of Africa for hundreds of years.

Like all legumes, chickpeas leach nitrogen into the soil which means they do not require additional nitrogen fertilizer.

Planting: Chickpeas do not enjoy being transplanted, so it’s best to direct sow them into garden beds where you want them to grow.

Sunlight: Full sun conditions are needed

Watering: Water well and keep soil moist, but not sodden (or you may attract a fungal disease)

Soil: Add plenty of compost or other organic matter (like ActivGrow Soil Improver or Cow Manure Plus) to your existing soil prior to planting.

Harvest: Ready to harvest around 100 days, they can be picked and enjoyed fresh and green, or leave the pods to start turning brown on the plant before harvesting for dried beans.