Having grown chickpeas in your own garden – who can say that? Probably only very few Central Europeans. But growing chickpeas is possible in our latitudes and often leads to good yields.
How can I successfully grow chickpeas in the garden?
Chickpeas can be grown in Central Europe by either sowing them directly outdoors from mid-May or using plants grown at home from mid-April. They prefer a sunny to partially shaded location, cope well with drought and require little care.
‘The early bird catches the worm’
Chickpeas take a lot of time before they can be harvested. In the Central European climate, it takes an average of 90 to 100 days for a single chickpea to grow into a plant with ripe pods. Therefore: early sowing pays off.
The choice between two options
If you can't wait, grow the plants at home. You start doing this between mid and late April. Sow the dried or sprouted chickpeas approximately 5 cm deep. When the young plants have reached a size of at least 10 cm, release them into the garden (assuming there is no frost).
Another option is to sow the chickpeas outdoors directly from mid-May:
- Outside temperature minimum: 5 °C
- Sowing depth: 5 to 8 cm
- Plant spacing: 20 cm, row spacing: 30 cm
- Substrate: sandy-loamy, light to medium-heavy, rich in limestone
Warmth lovers and a suitable place to feel good
Chickpeas love warmth. Temperatures should ideally be between 20 and 28 °C during the day and above 18 °C at night. A sunny to partially shaded location (6 hours of sunshine per day) is essential for a successful harvest. Basically, these plants should be planted in the greenhouse.
Chickpeas cannot be transplanted later due to their sensitive root system. It is therefore advisable to use compostable pots (€8.00 on Amazon) or swelling tabs that weather over time when growing the plants.
Chickpeas require little care in situ. They are extremely undemanding and cope well with times of drought. However, they cannot tolerate moisture. Therefore, they should not be watered too heavily. Especially shortly before harvest, wet conditions lead to damage such as moldy pods. These plants do not necessarily need fertilizer.
Tips & Tricks
Since chickpeas cannot tolerate frost, they should only be put outdoors after the Ice Saints. Recommended varieties for cultivation are Kabuli (large), Gulabi (medium) and Desi (small). Caution: All of these chickpea varieties are poisonous when not germinated.