When is the best time to plant autumn cowpea?

Cowpea is also called rice bean, string bean , long cowpea, etc. It is mainly edible as young pods. It is a very popular vegetable and is grown in many areas. So when is the best time to plant autumn cowpea? Let’s learn more about it below.

When is the best time to plant autumn cowpea?

Autumn cowpea is planted in autumn, usually between August and September in the north. Due to the temperature conditions in the south, it can be planted in advance in July and August.

How to plant autumn cowpea?

1. Seed treatment

Before sowing cowpeas, be sure to carefully select the seeds and air them for 1 to 2 days. You can sow them directly with dry seeds or soak them in warm water at 25 to 30 degrees. When you see that most of the cowpea seeds have absorbed water and expanded, take them out and dry the moisture on the skin before sowing.

2. Land preparation and ridge making

Sufficient base fertilizer should be applied during land preparation. Under normal circumstances, 3500-4500 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer , 60-80 kg of superphosphate, or 120-150 kg of wood ash can be applied per mu of land. In the northern region, flat ridges are generally used, while in the south, high ridges are used.

3. Planting seeds

Cowpea is generally sown in holes. If the soil moisture is poor, you can water the ridges before sowing, and then sow when the humidity is suitable. You can also dig furrows and water them when sowing, and then start sowing after the water seeps in. When sowing, sow two rows per ridge. The recommended row spacing is 50 to 65 cm, and the hole spacing can be 20 to 25 cm. Plant 4 to 5 seeds in each hole. After sowing, cover with 2 to 3 cm thick soil.

4. Check and replenish seedlings

After the true leaves appear, the seedlings should be checked and supplemented in time. Generally, 2 to 3 healthy seedlings should be left in each hole.

5. Water and fertilizer management

After all the cowpea seedlings have emerged, water them once according to the soil moisture conditions. Water them once before planting them on the racks. In combination with watering, apply organic fertilizer or urea in the furrows between the cowpea rows. When flower buds appear on the cowpea plants, you can water them lightly if drought is detected. Do not water the cowpea plants during the initial flowering period to prevent the flowers from falling.

When the first inflorescence sets on the pod, water heavily again after the first inflorescence. When the pods in the middle and lower part of the cowpea plant elongate and the inflorescences in the middle and upper part appear, water them heavily. Then water them every 5 to 7 days to keep the soil dry and moist. When the plants enter the flowering and pod-forming stage, watering should be combined with top dressing. The amount of topdressing for each time is 15 kg of ammonium sulfate or 10 kg of urea and 5 kg of potassium sulfate per mu, alternating between using clean water once and fertilizer water once.

6. Timely scaffolding

When the cowpea has 5 to 6 leaves and starts to stretch out its vines, you should set up a trellis in time and guide the vines onto the trellis. This should be done at noon or in the afternoon on a sunny day to avoid breaking the tender heads.

7. Pruning and removing buds

The side buds below the first inflorescence of the main vine should be removed in time when they grow to about 3 cm. The side branches at each node above the first inflorescence of the main vine should be pinched off with 2 to 3 leaves in the early growth stage to encourage the formation of flower buds at the first node of the side vine. In the middle and late stages of the growth of cowpea plants, the side branches that grow from the middle and upper parts of the main vine will become tipless after flower buds appear.

That’s it