How To Harvest Black Chickpeas In Your Kitchen Garden?
Image Credit: Pexels

Do you want to add some fresh and interesting food to your garden? How about cultivating black chickpeas? Black chickpeas are a flavorful and nutritious bean that works well in many dishes. It takes approximately 100 days for black chickpeas to grow and be ready for harvest, making them a cool-season annual crop.

The plants grow short and bushy every year. Chickpeas are indeterminate, like tomatoes, and after they begin to flower, they continue to produce new leaves, which can be purple, white, pink, or blue, depending on the type. Little seed pods contain the chickpeas. Fresh chickpeas are green, but most are taken when the seeds have dried on the plant and become tan or brown. 

Black chickpeas, sometimes called garbanzo beans, are classified as beans even though they are neither a bean nor a pea in botanical terms. Therefore, continue reading if you want to learn more about chickpea gardening!

Growing Black Chickpeas In Your Kitchen Garden

Soil Preparation

In temperate climates, black chickpeas require 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day; in warmer climates, they require some afternoon shade. Select a location that is close to or within your home. Enhance the soil bed by adding a potting mix rich with nutrients and drains properly. For the ground garden, put a 3-inch layer of this potting mix. It encourages quick roots and has all the nutrients your plants require from the soil. Add soil crystals to keep the soil moist and protect it from heat and drought.

Planting Black Chickpeas: A Guide

The growing season for these tasty beans can last up to 100 days from the sowing date till harvest. The plants themselves are not too difficult to care for. To plant and grow your garbanzo beans, follow these steps:

  • Indoors, plant the seeds 1-2 inches deep in the ground. Plant the seeds four weeks before your region's final predicted frost date. Black chickpea seeds are a little delicate, so you should sow them indoors rather than on the cold ground.
  • Make use of biodegradable pots. Black chickpea seedlings do not transplant well; therefore, use paper or peat seedling pots that may be planted straight into the ground instead of plastic or ceramic containers. Seedling containers are available at most gardening supply stores and online.
  • Plant one to two seeds in each pot. Fill the seedling pots with a little potting soil, then plant one seed in each pot, 1 to 2 inches deep. Sprouting usually takes two weeks.
  • Provide sunlight and water to the seeds. Mist the soil gently each day. If it gets hot, water them twice a day. Keep the soil surface moist and position the seedling pots near a window with plenty of direct sunshine until the seedlings sprout.

Maintenance & Care For Black Chickpea Plants

You should anticipate a smaller output if you grow your garbanzo plant in partial shade instead of full sun. Overhead irrigation has the effect of weakening the plant and making sick plants more likely. Water very early in the day, if possible, so the sun dries the plants and only hydrates the roots. If fungal diseases appear after overhead irrigation, water at the base after removing any injured plant parts.

If the soil temperature fluctuates too much in either direction, chickpea plants may lose their flowers and seed pods, reducing your yield. Mulch will regulate soil temperature during heat waves and unexpected cold snaps. Use frost and shade cloth if needed to keep your plant alive. When black chickpeas are grown alongside other legumes, the soil will become overly nitrogenous.

Diseases And Pests Of Black Chickpeas

Black chickpeas are incredibly hardy and require little attention once planted. However, bean beetles, which consume the leaves and seed pods, may target them, just like other legumes, if you discover that these beetles are eating your black chickpeas. Pyrethrin, an organic pesticide, should be sprayed on them or picked by hand. Avoid using this broad-range insecticide while the sun is high in the sky and pollinators are present in your garden, even if it is an organic pesticide that decomposes after a few days.

How To Harvest Black Chickpeas?

Black chickpeas only yield two seeds per pod, harvesting and shelling them can be arduous. As with grains, smash the pods and use a box fan to remove them when completely dried. The seeds and husks fall into a pan after you rub the dry pods between your palms. 

The heavy seeds land in the pan without changing shape and the dried pods are blown away by the wind. After a few passes, you will have a lovely, tidy pile of dried black chickpeas. Jarred dried black chickpeas can be kept for an extended period at room temperature. 

The Mediterranean region is the native home of black chickpeas. Black chickpeas are a versatile ingredient used in a wide range of dishes and are a good source of fibre and protein. Black chickpeas are quite easy to grow and can be grown in most regions.