Planting Chickpeas: Location & Cultivation

We can also grow the healthy trend vegetables. Here's everything you need to know about planting chickpeas.

the chick-pea (Cicer arietinum) is an ancient crop that is becoming more and more popular with us. Was the legume Originally native to the warmer areas of the subtropics, it can now also be grown in our gardens. Although the yield is not particularly large in colder regions, it is not noticeable If you want to do without chickpeas from your own garden, you can find out everything about planting them here protein-rich fruit. In our article we tell you everything about the right time to plant, the perfect location and the procedure for planting chickpeas.

Due to influences from oriental or Indian cuisine, the chickpea has been on our plates for a long time. However, you don't see them that often in our gardens. That should change now, because it is not difficult at all to cultivate chickpeas in the garden yourself. But how and when do you actually plant chickpeas? And where does the special legume feel most at home? We clarify.

When to plant or sow chickpeas?

The chickpea probably has a relaxed disposition, because it takes a particularly long time to ripen. In our climate zone, it can sometimes take up to 100 days from sowing to the ripe fruit. It is therefore all the more important to plant the chickpeas at the right time. Those who want to give the legumes a head start in time prefer them at home. You can start doing this between the middle and the end of April. The chickpea can only be planted or sown outdoors when the temperatures outside are no longer below zero. You can only be sure after the ice saints, i.e. from mid-May. In any case, the outside temperatures should be at least 5 °C for the heat-loving legume – both during the day and at night.

When are chickpeas planted?

• Advance from mid-April
• Plant or sow outdoors from mid-May
• There must be no more frost
• Temperatures permanently above 5 °C

The perfect location for planting chickpeas

The origin of the special legume tells us something about its location requirements: It probably comes from the Middle East and therefore likes it warm and sunny. For this reason, vineyards with sufficient heat and sunshine are ideal for growing chickpeas. The temperatures for growing chickpeas should be between 20 and 28 °C during the day and not below 15 °C at night. Cultivation in a greenhouse is therefore ideal. The legume thrives best on permeable, nutrient-poor, light soil. The chickpea does not mind dryness, but it cannot cope with too much moisture. The cultivation of chickpeas is therefore less successful on heavy, too moist loamy soil. Sandy soils are actually better suited.

What location requirements does the chickpea have?

• full sun
• Warm
• Ideal in the greenhouse
• Not too wet
• Well-drained, nutrient-poor soils
• Light sandy soils are ideal

Tip: Chickpeas are incompatible with themselves, which is why you should take a break from cultivation of four to five years. Otherwise legume fatigue can occur.

The correct procedure for planting chickpeas

If you want to give your chickpeas a head start in spring, you can easily grow them on your windowsill or in the cold frame. You can use unroasted chickpeas from the grocery store as seeds. At a room temperature of 20 to 22 °C, pre-cultivating chickpeas is child’s play. Either sow the chickpeas directly in seed pots or let them germinate. To do this, chickpeas are soaked in a sprouting jar for 24 hours. After that, the water is poured off and the chickpeas are rinsed with fresh water in the morning and in the evening. After a few days, the legumes will then begin to germinate.

Tip: The pre-germinated chickpeas can not only be planted, but also eaten as is. They are particularly good fresh in salads or lightly tossed in butter in a pan.

The pre-germinated or fresh chickpeas are then placed in pots with potting soil about six centimeters deep and covered with substrate. Well watered and kept moist, the young plants grow. Harden them off for a few days before planting them outdoors.

Prepare the bed for planting or sowing outdoors by loosening the soil and removing weeds and stones. Then draw planting grooves with a distance of 30 centimeters. You can now place the seeds in these grooves or place the young plants that have been brought forward at a depth of five to eight centimetres. The planting distance should be 20 centimeters. Finally, everything is well poured.

Step-by-step instructions for planting chickpeas:

• Use unroasted chickpeas from the grocery store as seeds
• seeds if necessary let germinate
• Prefer in pots on the windowsill or in the cold frame
• Loosen the bed well and remove weeds
• Create seed furrows with a row spacing of 30 cm
• Sowing depth: 5 – 8 cm
• Planting distance: 20 cm
• Water well

Tip: Since chickpeas are very sensitive to cold temperatures, you can keep the young plants indoors Garden after planting for a week or two at night with a fleece or foil from the cold protect.

Caring for chickpeas after planting

Once the chickpeas are planted, they require very little care. Since chickpeas are legumes, they can form a symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing nodule bacteria. These make atmospheric nitrogen available for the plant and so the chickpea usually does not need any additional fertilization. However, in order for the bacteria to be able to work well, they need sufficient phosphorus. Therefore, a one-time fertilization in spring with a fertilizer with an organic long-term effect - like ours Plantura organic universal fertilizer – be recommended in small amounts.

Only water your chickpeas when it is dry and hot for a long time. The legume does not like too much moisture. Keep the plants free of weeds - then nothing stands in the way of a successful chickpea harvest.

You can find out more about the protein-rich fruits in this article here Chickpeas.