How to Grow Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea)

Planting Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea)

Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea) is a cool season vegetable in the Fabaceae family. Getting the timing right is the difference between a strong stand and a disappointing one, so the windows below are given relative to your own last spring frost and first fall frost rather than a generic calendar date. Look up your local frost dates and count back or forward from there.

You can sow Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea) directly into the garden 0–2 weeks before your last frost.

Spacing and Planting Depth

Give Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea) room to mature. The figures below come from verified extension and seed-supplier data for typical varieties.

Days to Maturity

Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea) reaches maturity in 90–110 days from sowing.

Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea) is ready to harvest after about 100 days. Harvest before summer heat or, for fall crops, before a hard freeze, to keep quality high.

Conditions and Care

As a cool-season vegetable, Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea) does its best growing in the cooler weather of spring and fall and tends to bolt or turn bitter in summer heat. It is half-hardy — it withstands light frost but should be protected from a hard freeze.

Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea) needs full sun — give it at least six hours of direct light a day for the best growth and flavor. Sow seed about 1.5 inches deep, then keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings establish.

Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea) belongs to the Fabaceae family; rotating where you grow members of this family each year helps limit the build-up of soil-borne pests and disease. Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea) is generally grown as a single planting each season rather than succession sown.

Companion Plants

Pairing Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea) with the right neighbors can improve growth and deter pests; a few combinations are best avoided.

Grows well with: Cucumber

Keep away from: Onion, Garlic

Growing Notes

Drought-tolerant; one or two pods per node.

Sources

• UC Davis