How to Grow Chickpeas

Grow chickpeas as a garden vegetable, as a cover crop, or for sprouting seeds. To produce mature chickpeas, just follow these simple directions.

Latin
Cicer arietinum
Family: Fabaceae

Difficulty
Moderately easy

Season & Zone
Season: Warm season
Exposure: Full-sun
Zone: 3 and warmer

Timing
Chickpeas require 90-100 days to mature. Start them indoors approximately 4 weeks before the last average frost date. Optimal soil temperature: 10°C (50°F). Seeds sprout in 14-21 days depending on conditions.

Starting
Avoid disturbing the roots. Sow seeds 1cm (1/2”) deep, one seed per cell or in peat/coir/paper pots that can be transplanted into the ground. Do not soak the seeds prior to planting.

Growing
Ideal pH: 6.0-8.0. Transplant when the seedlings are at least 10cm (4”) tall, taking care to leave the roots undisturbed. Grow in full sun in rich soil with good moisture retention. Space plants 15cm (6”) apart - they will eventually support one another. The plants have shallow root systems that are easily damaged by cultivation, so take care to hand weed around plants as they establish. Avoid overhead watering.

Harvest
Use fresh pods when they are still green. For dry seeds, wait until the plants turn brown and then allow them to dry completely on a flat surface. Harvest the seeds as the pods split when completely dry.

Seed Info
In optimum conditions at least 65% of seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 3 years. Per 100’ row: 200 seeds, per acre: 100M seeds.

Companion Planting
Chickpeas fix nitrogen in the soil. Plant with beets, Brassicas, carrots, celery, chard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, peas, potatoes, radish, and strawberries. Avoid planting near chives, garlic, leeks, and onions.