Why Grow Chackbay Cowpea?
A Louisiana Heirloom The Chackbay Cowpea is an heirloom field pea variety from southern Louisiana. Named after the city in Louisiana, this southern pea variety is delicious and productive! The pods develop on the top of the plants, making them easy to see and easy to pick.
Low-Maintenance Plants Chackbay Cowpea is a drought-tolerant cowpea variety that doesn't need much water or fertile soil to thrive. The pea pods will be green initially as they develop on the plants. As the pods fill and the peas mature, the pods will turn a pale yellow color with hints of purple.
Chackbay Cowpea Growing Tips
• When to Plant Cowpeas
Cowpeas are a "warm season" vegetable that thrive in hot and even dry conditions. They should planted once temperatures sufficiently warm in the mid to late spring months. In southern climates, you can also plant them in late August or early September for a fall crop of cowpeas.
Cowpeas should be directly sewn in the garden at a planting depth of approximately 1/2" deep. Cowpeas can be planted very thick. Place seeds 2-3" apart along the row or bed you're planting. Cowpeas also grow great when planted on double rows, maximizing space in your backyard garden.
To learn more about double row planting cowpeas, watch this video.
• How to Fertilize Cowpeas
Because they are a legume, cowpeas will "fix" their own nitrogen as they grow. This complex process involves the plants capturing atmospheric nitrogen and essentially adding it to the soil. As a result, cowpeas don't require much fertilization.
When growing them in very poor soil, it's not a bad idea to apply some pre-plant fertilizer to the soil. Sprinkle a little Coop Gro organic fertilizer along the planting furrow prior to planting. Besides that, cowpeas shouldn't need any additional fertilization as they grow.
• Harvesting Cowpeas
Cowpeas can be harvested at the fresh or dried stage. To harvest fresh pods, wait until the pods are completely filled with peas. The pods on many cowpea varieties will start to turn a different color as the peas inside the pods are enlarging and maturing. This is usually a great sign that fresh peas are ready to harvest.
You can also allow the pods to dry completely on the plant if you're wanting dried peas that will store without having to freeze them. Dried pods are also great for seed saving so you can plant a particular cowpea variety again next year.
