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Chick peas

bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
in Fruit & veg
Has anyone grown successfully chick peas in the SW of England?
Would really appreciate the way forward if you have.
Many thanks.
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Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Packets and tins?   They're so cheap to buy, even ready cooked in tins that I'd spend my gardening budget and time on something that's more expensive to buy and/or hard to find in local shops.

    For me that's always soft fruits for price wherever we live but here it's also rhubarb, cavolo nero, PSB, oak leaf lettuce and broad beans.   Too dry here for sweetcorn and later beans. 

    However, if you're determined to try, have a read of this - https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/sites/www.gardenorganic.org.uk/files/sns/factsheets/FactsheetChickpes.pdf 
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Thank you both.
    Rather taken aback by Obeliexx being so dismissive.
    All veg grown in the garden can be bought in supermarket at very low prices but what is better than having really fresh produce and no food miles.
    I just wanted to find out if others had given it a try.
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    Maybe.. but when space, water, and time is a premium.. I'm with Obeiliexx on this one.  An organic onion from the shop tastes better than mine (probably because they are grown with more water than I can afford mine), same with potatoes and a wide range of other things.  What doesn't taste the same is strawberries, cane fruit, rhubarb, sweet corn, tomatoes, peas, kale, and a host of other things.  These things I invest in growing myself.  
    We eat chickpeas constantly.. our family of four goes through probably four cans a week.  A can of organic chickpeas is about $1 at my local grocery store (79p for you Brits).  Chickpeas are pretty productive plants.. but I would need to tear out my entire yard and garden, and probably grow enough for a month or two.. after all that work of growing, tending, watering, feeding, cropping, canning, etc.  I completely understand your point about food miles, which is why I buy from my locals Saturday farmer market for most of our veg needs thought the summer.  
    Hodmedod’s in the U.K. grows chickpeas.. they are probably your second best choice than your own back garden.
    Utah, USA.
  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478
    Hello , having grown chickpeas very successful a couple of years ago at allotment , so with it being so difficult to get seeds or plants we decide to have a go with dried chick peas from kitchen cupboard 
    First lot got eaten by mice in small plastic g/n , so second lot put in proper g/h , unfortunately only a few germinated will plant tomorrow at allotment 
    Have to say the difference in flavour is stunning 
    Worth having a go 
  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478
    Hello forgot to say we live in Lincolnshire 

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Not being dismissive at all @bertrand-mabel.  Constructive and practical was the intention and the habit and I did point you at some very good info from the UK's most established organic veg growing charity.  Helpful or what?

    Water is an issue here.  Ours is metered and there are already restrictions on usage.   I have installed a seep hose so I can grow my own tomatoes with less water then using a sprinkler or hose and I'm not growing any outside this year, just in the polytunnel.   Courgettes and pumpkins need a lot of feed and moisture so they're grown on great piles of our own compost and mulched to save moisture loss. 

    I've had a great crop of broad beans this year but they were sown in the ground in November and we had an unusually wet winter.   Summer beans and peas are out of the question here as is sweetcorn. 

    We use a lot of garlic so I grow that as it's planted in early winter and harvested before the drought and heat kick in.   I'm trying over-wintered onions this year to see if they do well but won't be trying spring planted ones again.

    Anything else I grow is for better flavour, better value or because I can't source it locally and that includes horseradish and chillies but not chick peas.  Couldbn't possibly grow enough for our needs even if water wasn't a problem.  
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Yes @philippa smith2.  Our water in Belgium was also metered but our rainfall levels were high averaging 33" a year and usually high air humidty in summer.   Climate change has led to significant periods of drought here in the last 4 years and the air is dry.   Happy to water plants and crops but do it judiciously now. 
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478
    Planted the 5 chickpeas that germinated in allotment today 👍
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    Haha @GWRS. What grand recipe do you have planned for your 50 chickpeas? 😁  I am interested to hear how they do.. your declaration of their superior taste has me interested in trying for my own small crop.  I did edamame a few years ago, and they were so much better than the frozen-in-the-pod microwave bags we typically get from the grocery store for our sushi nights.  Haven't grown them since, because five pods were plant wasn't good value of garden space.. but I've been thinking about it again.  
    Utah, USA.
  • GWRSGWRS Posts: 8,478
    Blue Onion , thank you for your interest but there is only “5” not 50 plants 🌱 and you only get 1 pea per pod so not sure how many we will have , however , will save this post and let you known 
    We have an asparagus bed and the taste is different from cutting it and eating it the same day , I find that applies to lots of items but not all 
    We do try and grow something different each year but unfortunately not been able to this year 
    Enjoy your garden and stay safe 

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