Growing Chickpeas up north? (Zone 5a)

[nune]

Next season, I plan to grow a kind of chickpea in my garden. The problem is that the variety, Rarámuri Garbanzo, is meant for the very low desert. As in, it was grown by the people its named after in Mexico. Deep in a canyon.
I'm a bit worried that this chickpea won't be adapted to my area unless I start early. Does anyone have advice on whether starting early would be necessary, and if so, how early I could start the seeds?
Thank you!

Image provided by seller for reference is below.

 

[Eleanor]

I grow several varieties of chickpea in southeast Michigan. Though I direct seed chickpea when I sow my common beans, I have on occasion started a variety indoors and transplanted. I use heat mats and allowing for a few days to germinate, depending on the season's progress towards warm soil (I like to sow when the soil is consistently above 60°F) I aim for no more than 2 weeks in pots before transplanting.

 

[nune]

I grow several varieties of chickpea in southeast Michigan. Though I direct seed chickpea when I sow my common beans, I have on occasion started a variety indoors and transplanted. I use heat mats and allowing for a few days to germinate, depending on the season's progress towards warm soil (I like to sow when the soil is consistently above 60°F) I aim for no more than 2 weeks in pots before transplanting.

Thank you for the advice! I know you/your family have experience growing desert crops like Devil's Claw in your climate, so I'll keep it in mind.

 

[Eleanor]

If you haven't grown chickpea before - something to keep in mind is that their germination is hypogeal, meaning the cotyledon leaves remain below the surface, not emerging like they do with common beans. I had someone reach out in a panic thinking something ate the leaves from their newly emerged sprouts!

 

[Branching Out]

Last year I grew a few chickpeas for the first time, and found them to be somewhat tricky. I started them indoors in tall pots, and my potting soil was kept too wet; many of them turned to mush, and others shattered. A few of the ones that sprouted got broken off by accident as well; they seem kind of fragile when they are young. In the end I was able to plant a small patch of them outdoors, and it was a lot of fun to watch them develop. They are very pretty, lacy plants. This year I am going to try a different method for starting them, modelled on how Eagle Sweet Peas start their sweet peas seeds. Basically you fill the pot 3/4 full with moist soil, top it up with dry soil right out of the bag, and then poke the seeds in to the dry mix. Also, I saw a video suggesting that commercial growers are finding benefits with inter-cropping chickpeas with Golden Flax, to keep the chickpeas up off the soil. I have never grow flax before, but my plan is to try this combo and see how it does.

 

[Manda_Rae]

I tried growing a few, here in NE Pennsylvania, this past season. I grew in pots and they didn't do well at all. I got a totally of 4 pods and that was it. I planned to grow differently this time but maybe it was my soil (organic potting soil)
I was going to grow in ground next season.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I'm in zone 6b, and I generally have no problem getting chickpeas to grow.

I will point out that desi types (the small, thick skinned angular chickpeas used to make chickpea flour) tend to be a little more cold tolerant and faster than that kabouli types (the bigger, thin skinned ones that are what most people think of when they think of chickpeas). I got seed off my kabouli's but kinda sorta just barely, and a lot of it still had a green tinge when it dried. Raramuri is a kabouli, so bear that in mind.

 

[flowerbug]

Last year I grew a few chickpeas for the first time, and found them to be somewhat tricky. I started them indoors in tall pots, and my potting soil was kept too wet; many of them turned to mush, and others shattered. A few of the ones that sprouted got broken off by accident as well; they seem kind of fragile when they are young. In the end I was able to plant a small patch of them outdoors, and it was a lot of fun to watch them develop. They are very pretty, lacy plants. This year I am going to try a different method for starting them, modelled on how Eagle Sweet Peas start their sweet peas seeds. Basically you fill the pot 3/4 full with moist soil, top it up with dry soil right out of the bag, and then poke the seeds in to the dry mix. Also, I saw a video suggesting that commercial growers are finding benefits with inter-cropping chickpeas with Golden Flax, to keep the chickpeas up off the soil. I have never grow flax before, but my plan is to try this combo and see how it does.

golden flax is a beautiful plant too.

 

[nune]

I'm in zone 6b, and I generally have no problem getting chickpeas to grow.

I will point out that desi types (the small, thick skinned angular chickpeas used to make chickpea flour) tend to be a little more cold tolerant and faster than that kabouli types (the bigger, thin skinned ones that are what most people think of when they think of chickpeas). I got seed off my kabouli's but kinda sorta just barely, and a lot of it still had a green tinge when it dried. Raramuri is a kabouli, so bear that in mind.

Thank you! With this information, I'll probably start the plants a bit early indoors.

 

[donna13350]

I tried kabouli type a few years ago, and won't grow them again. I found them to be large sprawling plants with very few pods per plant...just not enough yield for the space they hogged.
I might try the Carol Deppe variety that's supposed to have 300 pods per plant, but so far I've had zero luck getting seed here from Canada.
Soup peas can be a great sub in everything including hummus and they are much more prolific...I grow them instead..