Cicer arietinum
Vegetables

Chickpea

Cicer arietinum

Chickpea · Light: Full sun · Water: Low. Typical planning ranges from OpenPlantDB (CC0). Cultivar, climate, season and growing method can change these values. Confirm the seed label and local guidance before planting.

LightFull sun
WaterLow
DifficultyEasy to moderate
CategoryVegetables
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Climate matters. This page is a practical baseline. Confirm cultivar, local frost/heat conditions, mature size and regional restrictions before planting.

Chickpea — Growing reference

Scientific nameCicer arietinum
Seed germination (days)6–12
Soil temperature for germination (°C)10–23.9
First harvest or flowering (days)90–110
Measured fromSeed
Plant spacing (cm)15.2–20.3
Mature height (cm)45.7–61
Mature spread (cm)25.4–35.6
USDA hardiness zones4–10
LightFull sun
WaterLow
Sowing methodDirect sow

Growing directions

Sow chickpeas 2 in deep in light, well-drained soil with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH; they perform poorly in heavy, waterlogged ground. The plants produce distinctive sticky, glandular hairs on stems and pods that can cause a mild skin reaction in sensitive individuals, so harvest with gloves. Pick pods when they are green and plump for fresh eating, or leave plants to dry fully in place and harvest entire plants when 90% of pods have turned tan. Shell and sun-dry for a day before long-term storage.

Source and local conditions

Typical planning ranges from OpenPlantDB (CC0). Cultivar, climate, season and growing method can change these values. Confirm the seed label and local guidance before planting.

OpenPlantDB · chickpea

Source & verification

OpenPlantDB · CC0

Open reference source ↗