Greetings growers! Here is a space to share your planting of GTS cowpeas with photographs and all of your observations during your growing season. When are you planting? Whats the weather like? Whats your garden look like? You may share all of your garden and beyond seed saving.
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Here is my little patch of cowpeas that are actually together. There is the GTS mix, “Not Just Cowpeas” and more from my seed stash of mixed heirlooms. I planted in March 2025 and will plant again this fall during monsoon season. Yes, two seasons to plant legumes in Arizona. My two garden spaces are small, one is a greenhouse 20x40 feet and the other is my backyard 40x100 and I cram in as much diversity as possible each growing season.
Can cowpeas be planted in an area that has been mulched, but where the soil has not been disturbed? Does the soil really need to be 20°C before I sow the seeds? I have 2 kilos of cowpeas that I would like to try in a supposedly fertile area.
Thanks for the help!
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Yes, cowpeas prefer warm soil, and full sun. They tend to be heat tolerant and drought tolerant as well. Where did your original seed come from? When I have seed im not sure of, plant in succession plots, or plant 20 seeds and observe fir sprout emerging…how many days before they come up. Can you post a photograph of the soil? Will you plant any other seed with the cowpeas?
Divide your area into fourths or thirds, plant only a portion of the area, wait two weeks and plant another. Observe how the seed germinates. Or you could utilize plug trays or soil blocks and transplant the seedlings…I prefer to direct seed into the ground. What is the dimensions of your garden area? What latitude are you at in Portugal? And do you dry farm or are you on irrigation for water? Im in Arizona, all the way south next to the California border and Mexico. Very dry, with irrigation and loads of sand. I started with adding composted wood chips and horse manure. But as Im learning adaptation gardening, Im not adding anything anymore except water. Lots of seeds will fail, but some will live. Just keep planting and saving seed. Start with where you are comfortable.