If you enjoy growing your own vegetables, you should consider to grow up black-eyed peas. These peas are also called cowpeas, black-eyed beans or blackeyes because of its pale-colored skin with a black spot similar to a black eye. These peas are originally from Africa. It is an ingredient widely use in Southern, United States and Asia cuisine. There are several variants like pink- eyed peas. Black-eyed peas are easy to plant in your garden.
These legumes are high in protein, calcium, manganese, iron and high fiber content is low in cholesterol. Black-eyed peas prefer a soil that consists of sand, silt and clay called loam. They grow in arid and semiarid, with well-drained soil, rich and completely sunny. Plants are tolerant of dry weather conditions, but they are not susceptible to cold and frost.
• Before planting
Clean the area of the old roots and shrubs. Add fertilizer in bands from 3 to 4 inches deep and 2 to 3 inches away from the seeds. Soak seeds all night before planting.
• Planting
Sow seeds into soil 1.5 inches deep with the soil temperature is 65 Fahrenheit or above. Use row of 30 to 36 inches apart, with seeds spaced 2 to 4 inches or follow the instructions of the packet. Seeds germinate in 7 or 10 days. Avoid sow peas below other shadows crops, plants need direct sun. Water plants at least once in a week. Try no to wet leaves, in this way you avoid fungus diseases. If the weather is dry water more frequently. Use general propose fertilizer once in a month. The plants do not need pole stuck into the ground like soybean plants.
• Harvesting
Plants of black-eyed peas reach their maturity in 80 to 90 days. We can harvest tender leaves, very young pods and dried peas. Pick dried peas, when vines get dried. Few farmers grow up black-eyed peas to consume leaves. You can prepare tender leaves boiled as if it were boiled spinach. Tender leaves have higher in protein than seeds.
• Plant Diseases
One of the favorite food of insects are black-eyed peas plants. They love leaves, tender pots and dried peas. The most dangerous insects are weevils, adults and larvae and the most dangerous disease is root-knot nematodes that drain plant nutrients. Use repellents or insecticides to avoid and control plagues. Animals like deers, rabbits and chickens eat plants too. Keep protected your plants. High heat and humidity are good condition to develop of bacterial and wild diseases. If the area has high humidity and heat use fungicides.