What can you tell me about garbanzo beans (chick peas)?

[stepstephens2]

This is the first time I am attempting garbanzo beans this year... the info I've found is kind of sketchy on when they are ready for harvest, how to harvest them, etc... Any advice would be appreciated! I'm under the impression that the plants start to dry up as they near being able to be harvested. Is that correct?

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

I planted some for the first time too this year. My husband had them growing up. He said the plants are similar to bush beans. I know they grow into pods like green peas. I buy them at the flea market all the time fresh. I like to steam them with a little salt and eat/suck them out of the pods. Delicious. My husband said you had to leave them on the plants to dry out for garbanzo/chick peas. The pods will turn brown.

 

[digitS']

Good to see that you are finally getting some information from us, Steph. Not too many people grow chickpeas, I don't suppose .

I raised chickpeas many years ago in the garden. That didn't need to be my only experience with them but it was, I'm sorry to say. They seemed to be a very low production crop.

This really isn't much truer for chickpea than it is for dry beans. Chickpea acreage in the area here must be increasing each year as more and more dryland farms grow this crop. It can be farmed much like wheat, I suppose.

Yield is about 1,000 pounds per acre. But, in the garden - I was used to green beans and sweet corn and zucchini . In other words, veggies that aren't harvested as dry seed. Pinto beans should produce more pounds per acre but would likely require irrigation if grown here. Of course, my garden had irrigation.

With only 2 seeds in a pod, I looked at those little chickpea vines and decided I'd better use the garden space for something else. Actually, it may make sense for me to grow them. I cannot grow lima beans, for example, because of their heat requirements and, I believe that chickpeas can be used in the kitchen much like lima beans - harvested as green, shelled and then prepared for the table. Or, they can be allowed to dry down and harvested for storage.

I hope this helps in some way. If you want to do a google search for chickpeas site:uidaho.edu, you will find all sorts of information for them as a farm crop.

Steve

 

[stepstephens2]

Thanks... I thought that one of my plants died when it started to turn brown... it had about 5 peas per pod and there were about 5 pods on the plant. I stupidly pulled and tossed it. Then 2 more plants started to follow suit and I realized that I was probably making a mistake. I was growing them more out of curiosity then anything else. I saw a show about a guy circling the globe trying to find a true strain of wild chick pea and I got inspired to try growing a few. I do intend to eat whatever I get, but I know I won't get enough to make it feasible to give up canned.
Thanks for the info...