How To Grow ChickPeas
Chickpeas have only just become popular in the UK. You don’t often see them being grown in gardens and allotments but they will soon start to become popular to grow. Here in this article, we will tell you how to grow chickpeas here in the UK and the rest of the world.
Welcome to the world of chickpea cultivation! Growing chickpeas is not only a rewarding experience but also a great way to enjoy these versatile legumes in your meals. Whether you’re a novice gardener or have some experience, this guide will walk you through the essential steps on how to grow chickpeas successfully.
Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are packed with protein, fiber, and a range of essential nutrients. Cultivating them in your garden allows you to enjoy fresh, homegrown chickpeas while contributing to a sustainable and rewarding gardening journey.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything from selecting the right chickpea variety and preparing the soil to planting, caring for your chickpea plants, and harvesting the bountiful yield. Whether you have a backyard garden, a small plot, or even containers on a balcony, you can grow chickpeas and experience the joy of harvesting your own legumes.
Let’s dive into the world of chickpea cultivation and discover the simple yet fulfilling process of growing these nutritious and delicious legumes at home.
One of the reasons Chickpeas are becoming more popular here in the Uk is that they are getting more known for the protein that is in them. Eating Chickpeas is a great alternative for vegetarians that are needing protein from other sources and also for protein for gym workouts and leading a healthy lifestyle.
Chickpeas are not very hard to grow at all another reason why it is becoming more popular to grow chickpeas here in the UK. When growing chickpeas they require very little attention to get great results from the crops that you grow. Chickpeas can grow in warm weather and little water as well great for the different types of growing climates we are now getting in the UK.
You will notice that when growing Chickpeas they will not be attacked by many of the garden critters that you get attacking most plants in the garden and the allotment.
The taste of chickpeas is actually a cross between French Beans and also Peas. When growing chickpeas you do not have to add many nutrients to the soil to get great crops from your plants. So if you are looking for something easy to get growing in your garden, allotment, or kitchen garden why not try growing chickpeas next time?
Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book
Are you starting an allotment or planning on growing your own fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a kitchen garden? If so we highly recommend the book Allotment Month By Month. This does exactly what it does on the cover to help you with what you should be doing in the allotment and kitchen garden each month. Below you can see the link for Amazon where you can purchase the book directly. This book is extremely popular with all allotment holders as you will read in the reviews:-
You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.
Chickpeas Varieties.
In the Uk, there are only a few varieties of chickpeas that you can try and grow as they are still a new thing to try growing here in the UK. You can purchase varieties of Chickpeas from Amazon from lots of reputable businesses that have great star ratings. You will be able to find the link below for suggestions for varieties of chickpeas that you can purchase from Amazon.
The flowers on Chickpeas are great to see! You can get many different colors of flowers on chickpeas depending on the variety that you purchase. The colors of chickpeas come in either purple, blue, or white. The chickpea flowers will then encourage the bees to your garden and allotment.
When you purchase chickpea seeds to grow at home or on the allotment they will more often than not come sprouting already. This way you will know that you will have a great germination rate. This will then hopefully encourage you to have a great crop of chickpeas to grow.
Like peas, chickpeas are also great for helping improve the soil quality in the garden. Chickpeas add nitrogen to the soil so if you have not had good crops in one are one year grow chickpeas to improve the soil quality and nitrogen then the year after you can try and grow something different in that area again. Chickpeas are often known to be grown in areas where the soil is of poor quality and bad growing.
Best Soil for Chickpeas
Deciding, where to grow Chickpeas in the garden and allotment, is not too hard to decide as they do not need good quality soil to get great crops. If anything they are best grown in soil that has not actually been improved.
The type of soil that is best to grow chickpeas in is well-drained soil that has not been improved. Growing chickpeas in not good quality soil will improve the nitrogen produced by the plants.
When to Sow, Plant, and Harvest Chickpeas
Here you can find the best to sow, plant, and harvest Chickpeas in the UK
| Sow | Plant | Harvest |
| March- June | May-June | July-September |
How to Sow ChickPeas
The way you sow Chickpeas is very much the same as peas, runner beans, and french beans.
To sow chickpeas you need to space the chickpea seeds around 10cm apart so that they have space to grow and you can weed around them easily enough. If you are wanting more than one crop of chickpeas start sowing the seeds around March/April then you can start the second batch of chickpea seeds off around June for a second crop.
Chickpeas can obviously attract some of the same rodents as peas and beans can! The rats, mice, squirrels, and birds so make sure when you are planting the chickpea seeds that you protect them from any birds or predators.
If you want to be extra careful when sowing Chickpeas start them of in seed trays first or in pots. Once the plants are big enough and able to handle themselves you can then plant the chickpea plants out 10cm apart. They will probably still need netting though.
Looking after Chickpeas
Chickpeas will not need much care and attention once they have been planted. All you will need to do is make sure the area is kept weed free. Fingers crossed you should start to see chickpea flowers after around 2 months of sowing with the pods appearing shortly afterward.
How to Harvest Chickpeas
When the time comes to harvest chickpeas you can be picking them as soon as peas are appearing in the pods. This is because if you are not fast mice will come along and eat them all.
The chickpeas will have between one and three chickpeas in if you re lucky. Keep harvesting them as they are ready to pick.
Make sure you pick them with gloves on as they have some kind of acid on them which can be slightly irritant and you obviously don’t want to rub your eyes.
Conclusion
As you conclude your chickpea growing journey, you’ve embarked on a rewarding adventure that connects you with the earth and the wholesome joy of homegrown produce. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ve learned how to nurture chickpea plants from seeds to thriving greenery and, ultimately, to a bountiful harvest.
Harvesting your chickpeas marks the culmination of your efforts, and now you can enjoy the fruits of your labor in various culinary delights. Whether tossed in salads, blended into hummus, or added to your favorite recipes, your homegrown chickpeas bring a unique freshness and flavor to your table.
Remember that gardening is an ongoing learning process, and each season provides new insights. As you reflect on your chickpea-growing experience, consider documenting your observations and successes to refine your approach in the future.
Thank you for joining us on this journey of cultivating chickpeas. May your gardening endeavors continue to flourish, and may the joy of growing your own food inspire further exploration into the world of home gardening. Happy harvesting!
We hope you have found these tips useful for growing chickpeas in the garden and allotment. You can find out more tips on growing vegetables here
