How to Grow Black-Eyed Peas from Seed (Guide)

So, you want to grow black-eyed peas from seed and harvest unlimited seeds in your own backyard.

Known for their single dark spot on a single bean, black-eyed peas are a popular legume that’s used for a variety of dishes.

 

With their soft and neutral flavor, they’re versatile for cooking, eaten early as a snap bean, or consumed as a dried bean.

Depending on when you harvest, you can grow your snaps, dried beans, or shelled beans at home easily.

Let’s dive in and get your garden started.

Last updated: 6/1/22.

Quick care guide: Black-eyed peas

Plant type Perennial
Origin South Africa
Scientific name Strelitzia reginnae (varies)
Other names Crane flower
Soil type Loamy, well-draining
Soil pH 5-7
Sunlight requirement Full sun
Bloom season Summer, fall
Colors Orange, white, pink, green, blue, red, yellow
Max height 3-20 feet
Max width 15 feet
Temperature 60F+
Humidity High
Watering requirements Often during summer and fall, let dry between waterings during winter
Fertilizer requirements High, often during summer
Days until germination 8 weeks
Days until bloom 60-80 days
Speed of growth Very slow
Hardiness zones 10, 11, 12
Plant depth 3 times diameter of root ball
Plant spacing 6-7 feet
Propagation Rhizome division
Common pests Scale, mites, aphids
Common diseases Root rot, fungus
Beginner friendly Yes
Care level Low
Uses Decoration, color, centerpiece

Are black-eyed peas easy to grow?

Black-eyed peas (Vigna unguiculata unguiculata) are a summer bean that’s popular in the garden.

They’re tasty, nutritious, and can be used for a variety of hearty dishes at home.

They look kinda weird, and some even debate whether they’re a pea or not, but they’re tasty and a staple for many people.

The legume is easy to grow even for the beginner gardener and produces plenty of yield to harvest and use in your favorite dishes right in your kitchen.

The hardest part is simply planting on time and keeping it watered.

Otherwise, black-eyed peas are extremely easy to grow from seed. Let’s dive in and see how to care for these peas.

How long does it take for black-eyed peas to grow?

Black-eyed peas will germinate in approximately 10-12 days on average. It takes about 60-80 days for the bush to bloom, but this varies depending on local conditions like climate.

Sometimes they may take as little as 8 days if the conditions are right.

Colder temps generally mean slower germination. Warmer temps mean a sped-up germination rate.

As for becoming ready for harvest, they take anywhere from 60-90 days on average, depending on the cultivar you’re growing and your local climate.

Some bean varieties are ready faster than others. Bush vs. pole beans also makes a difference.

Can you plant black-eyed peas from the grocery store?

Black eyed peas from the grocery store.
You’ll have a higher germination rate with seed packets.

Assuming you get black-eyed peas that aren’t already cooked, then yes, they should be able to be grown in your garden.

Most beans sold by the pound (bulk) in stores aren’t sprayed or treated with anything, so they can grow if you get the right one. You need dried beans that are still in the pod.

Buy a pound or so and bring them home, then try to sprout them with some wet towels inside a sandwich bag. If they germinate, then you can transplant them to the garden.

You should expect a lower success rate with black-eyed peas from the store.

Anywhere from 10-30% is common, so you should buy enough to compensate for the lower rate. Get organic varieties when possible.

They’re also over-dried by the point they reach the store, which also reduces the germ rate. Fertilizer and fungicide also further reduce the rate.

Black-eyed pea seeds

There are many types of black-eyed peas you can buy.

Cowpeas, goat peas, field peas, purple-eyed peas, frijoles, cream peas, and crowder peas are all aliases for this popular bean. There are different types for different climates and hardiness zones.

You can find everything from drought tolerant peas to mushy peas to trailing vines- choosing the right one may be the hardest step!

But we’ll stick with the traditional black-eyed variant and give the most general advice that applies to most species.

You can buy a packet of seeds at your local nursery.

Again, there are many different types. Get the right seed that fits your hardiness zone so you can maximize your chances of a successful harvest.

Look for wilt resistant strains so they’re tolerant against many different pea diseases. This is visible on the package as “WR” or will be written on the back somewhere in the planting instructions.

Note that black-eyed peas are both bush and vine (pole). So you can choose accordingly.

The bushy types are larger and need more space. The vine plants don’t take up as much space because they can be grown vertically on trellises.

Seed varieties

A black eyed pea seedpod ready to harvest.
Depending on your seed type, days to harvest varies. (By Earth100 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

There are many different types of black-eyed peas, but most seed packets won’t distinguish between all the different cultivars.

So you’ll likely just end up with a generic label even though you have a type that you never expected.

The thing to know about these peas is that they rarely cross and look identical to the original plant.

So if you know what you’re getting (like from a friend or neighbor), then you can expect to have the same type of pea.

Here are some of the most common types of black-eyed peas:

  • California Blackeye
  • Queen Anne
  • Big Boy
  • Crowder
  • Semi-crowder
  • Non-crowder
  • Creamer

Hardiness zone

If you’re wondering whether or not you can grow these beans in your area, check your hardiness zone.

This is the most accurate way to see if a specific strain of them will properly grow (and pre-determines your success rate before you plant).

You can sometimes plant oddballs ether and there even outside of your hardiness zone, but it’ll be a lot more difficult to get the best and most fruitful harvest.

So you stick with black-eyed pea strains that are made for your zone, especially if you’re doing this for the first time.

Most cultivars are hardy and will grow in zones 5-9, but even then, timing the plant from sowing to harvest is important.

How to plant black-eyed peas from seed

Fresh harvest of black eyed peas from seed.
A fresh harvest of delicious peas. (By Bubba73 (Jud McCranie) – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Here are the steps to growing this legume at home.

You can use seeds from a packet or whole peas from the grocery store.

Depending on the type you’re growing (bush or vine) and the strain, your process will vary slightly from what’s written here. But it’s largely the same.

When to plant

The best time to plant these beans is in the spring, as they develop and become ready to eat in the summer.

If you plant too late, the cold winter may stunt bean growth or result in poorly developed beans.

You can sow from seed in early spring or if you’re buying a transplant, move them outside in the spring. These beans do best outdoors with plenty of natural sunlight.

An easy way to tell is to check the ambient temperatures.

When the local climate stays above 65F consistently, then it’s likely a good time to plant! It’s as easy as checking the weather on your favorite weather station.

Your hardiness zone will make a difference, along with the specific strain you chose. Read the seed package for the best and most detailed instructions.

These beans take up to 90 days to become ready to eat, so you need to time it right.

Don’t plant it too late where the harvest date overlaps the fall, as the cold weather will result in a poor harvest. The best time is to plant them early enough so that you can harvest them BEFORE the temperature drops.

If you plant too late, then you’ll have to either harvest early which may result in peas that are too soft or risk the cold weather stunting your pea’s vitality.

Black-eyed peas take quite some time until harvest, so plant early rather than late.

Is it too late to plant black-eyed peas?

Find out when your cold season starts and subtract 60-90 days from it, depending on the type of cowpea you’re planting from seed. If it dates back to before spring, then yes, it’s too late.

You need to provide at least 90 days to be safe. If you look forward to 90 days and it’s already cooler weather, you’re best off waiting until next season.

Where to plant

Choose a location with nutrient-rich, well-draining soil.

Avoid planting somewhere that previously had crop-producing plants.

This is because that location may not have the nutrients remaining in the soil to produce future yields that are well grown. If you have a tiny garden or limited space, consider reseeding your soil.

Replace the entire plant plot with nutritious, organic, and loose soil for replanting.

Other than providing necessary nutrients, it also helps reduce future pest problems from previous ones.

Do they need a trellis?

Black-eyed peas can benefit from a trellis, stake, or fence.

Vine beans will crawl and grow on these support structures, and it helps keep them nice and tidy.

This makes them less prone to insects and excess degrees of humidity.

These bean plants are rapid growers and you can tie the vines on plant support as soon as they start crawling.

Rotating your crops

If you have a small yard and reseeding the growing substrate isn’t an option, rotate your crops.

If you previously had legumes or beans growing in that plot, avoid planting your black-eyed pea seeds in the same spot.

Plant them somewhere else that a different plant was growing.

This will help provide the necessary nutrients for the plant and minimize any deficiencies in the soil. It also will reduce the chance of bugs or plant viruses that remain in the area from previous plants.

Soil type

Choose high quality, well-draining organic soil.

The pH should be acidic to neutral, which is around pH 5-7. black-eyed peas will appreciate organic fertilizer, compost, or manure to help supply them with the necessary compounds and nutrients they need to thrive.

The higher quality soils are looser and drain well compared to cheaper soils. This will help retain water so you don’t have to water so much, which will save you time and money (water bill).

Since these are heat-loving plants, evaporation is common.

Using water retaining soil will benefit you in more ways than you can imagine. They also prevent soil compaction and bioavailability of nutrients.

Plus, if you want to grow organic field peas, you need to use organic soil anyway. You may as well if you’re growing at home. Get the best darn black-eyed peas you can grow.

Should I soak black-eyed peas before planting?

You can soak your seeds before you plant them to maximize yield.

They only need a maximum of 24 hours in water. If you soak them too long, they’ll become damaged.

But if you soak them for the right amount of time, soaking seeds can help speed up germination time.

However, if you’re willing to wait to avoid over-soaking them, then avoid soaking at all. It’s not required for black-eyed peas and most inexperienced gardeners end up doing more harm than good.

Planting the seeds

Black eyed peas germinating.
Planting them is the easy part. Timing is the hard part.

Black-eyed pea seeds can be planted in rows to maximize space efficiency and harvest yield. Space each seed 4” apart and 1” deep.

Each row should be 36” apart to minimize competition and provide plenty of growing space for each plant to flourish.

If your peas are the bushy type, you’ll need more spacing between each row. Vines can be controlled easily with stakes for vertical growth if necessary.

Backfill each seed with a minimal amount of soil so it matches the soil surface.

After you plant for the first time, water generously. Don’t pack the soil. Keep it loose.

black-eyed pea seeds are directly sown into the dirt and don’t need to be started indoors to germinate. You can sow them outdoors into the substrate right away.

The soil must be warm before you plant. Remember to watch for 65F or higher. If you plant when the soil is cold, they’ll rot and you’ll end up with nothing.

If you want to get a head start on the planting season, you can use plant covers or cold frames to keep it warm and hold in heat.

Growing indoors

For those in hardiness zones that are less than favorable, you can start by planting them indoors 6 weeks before the last frost date.

Use a seed starter to germinate the seeds before planting them outside. black-eyed pea seedlings don’t take well to transplanting at all, so it’s best to start with direct sow if possible.

If you need to use a container to grow indoors, choose an easy to transplant biodegradable container that’s made with paper or peat moss.

This way you can plant it directly outside without having to dig the entire plant up just to plant it again outside.

Watering

This crop will do well in drought conditions as it’s quite tolerant of dry periods.

When rain is scarce, your corps should be fine with regular watering.

Keep the soil moist and don’t let it go dry for extended periods. Don’t waterlog the soil.

Stick to a schedule and don’t overdo it. If you must let it dry, don’t let it stay dry for more than a day. They need to stay thirsty, my friends.

Use your finger and push it into the top 2” of dirt and feel for moisture. If it’s dry to the touch, give them some hydration. If it’s still wet, let it stay that way and check back at nighttime or the next day.

Foliage drooping or plant wilting is common in dehydrated plants.

Water them and they’ll spring back up in a few hours.

When you do water, water the stem in the soil so you can saturate the roots with water.

Don’t water the leaves. They don’t absorb water. The water should be directed to the root system only. Watering the leaves will result in mildew or fungal problems.

And if you plan to snip them off for your salad, I don’t think you’ll want to chew on some fungus, right? Gross.

Plant food

black-eyed peas appreciate regular plant food but don’t overdo it.

Excess nitrogen (N) will lead to more leaf development yet smaller pea growth. You’re planting this bean so you can eat it, right?

So you want to minimize the plant growth so it spends the energy on producing the tastes beans possible. Use as directed if you decide to fertilize.

If you think your soil is missing nutrients or you don’t see rounded beans, consider buying a soil test kit and making sure that you have all the necessary nutrients.

If you notice that the leaves are white or yellowish, they could use some plant food. Use a plant food that’s rich in nitrogen to feed the leaves, but don’t overdo it or else you’ll have poor bean deployment.

Unless you only plan to eat the leaves, there’s no reason to be too concerned about making the leaves grow.

You can use fish emulsion, blood meal, or any general all-purpose plant food should do the trick.

Supplementing with enough compost or manure in the beginning when you sowed the seeds should be practiced to avoid doing it again later. If you grow them as a pole bean, this is especially helpful to keep them growing all season.

Sunlight

black-eyed peas will need at least 8 hours of sunlight per day.

They appreciate a full sun location, so keep shelter and sun-blocking objects out of the way. Let them soak up all those rays and produce plentiful peas for you to enjoy all summer and fall.

Full sun gives the most beans, especially for vine beans.

Hot temps with plenty of full sun for at least 8 hours a day will give plenty of cowpea yield. Remember that they’re a heat-loving legume, so don’t be afraid to give them what they want!

Temperature

These beans do best in warmer temperatures that are above 65F.

Since they sprout in the summer, they don’t mind higher and warmer temps.

They love the heat and grow best when it’s warm.

You should keep them around 86F for the tastiest beans.

Humidity

black-eyed peas don’t need any special setups for humidity. They do fine in dry or humid conditions, as they’re tolerant of dry temperatures. So don’t worry about this.

Keeping humidity low is preferable to prevent any mildew or fungal problems on the foliage if they get wet.

Just keep them watered well and this should provide enough moisture in the air for them to thrive. The main concern is temperature. Keep them warm for the best pea harvest.

Harvesting

black-eyed peas can be harvested anywhere from 60-90 days after planting.

The harvest time depends on the type of pea you have, hardiness zone, and temperature. When ready to harvest, you can pluck them safely from the soil.

Pick them before they’re fully grown for tender beans. Let them remain and develop for crunchier beans.

The leaves can also be used, did you know what? You can pluck the leaves from the bean plant and use them in salads and soups. black-eyed pea leaves can be used as a substitute for spinach in your favorite dishes.

If you’re growing bush beans, they’re ready to harvest earlier than vine beans.

If you want soft and tender beans, harvest them earlier before they complete their development. The peas are generally softer and mushier at this point. They’re also more natural in flavor.

If you want crunchy beans, harvest later when they’ve fully matured. They’re crunchier and slightly more flavorful. This is usually around the 80-day point.

For snap beans, harvest them as late as possible. This is usually around early fall- around the 100-day point.

And for shelling peas, wait until the bean pods are completely full and the beans start to bulge on the inside.

You can also dry them out and never harvest them until they’re completely dry on the vine. This is for dried black-eyed peas.

You have a lot of freedom in what you want to do. You can grow pretty much all the different types of pea variants by changing the harvest time. That’s all there is to it.

black-eyed pea plants are ready to harvest when they’re about 3” in length. Harvest by carefully pulling the vanilla pods from the stem.

Don’t pull them directly as this may uproot the plant or vine. Keep the pea pod and the vine separate.

Propagating

Cowpeas can be succession planted so you have beans to harvest all summer.

Plant them one week after another in early spring and you’ll have them ready to harvest one week apart- or close to it. This will help reduce the chance of excess harvest and ending up with more beans than you know what to do with.

It also lets you gauge whether or not the rest are ready to be harvested from the first you pluck.

How to grow black-eyed peas in containers

They do best planted in the garden, but containers will work.

These beans grow best outside in the sun with plenty of soil and growing space, but the smaller bush varieties can be grown in containers.

Note that if you decide to plant them in planters, you won’t get as much yield as planting them in natural soil. The bush needs plenty of space to grow and a container will restrict it.

So you’ll end up with smaller pea bushes and also fewer crops. Soil-based crops will yield fuller, larger plants with more beans.

They may also outgrow their original container and will need to be transplanted to a larger planter.

To grow them in a container, make sure it’s the bush variety first.

Use plenty of well-draining soil and add any nutrients and supplements in the beginner before you sow to avoid disturbing the plant later.

Use the biggest container you can find and plant the seed 1” deep.

You probably won’t be able to fit multiple bushes in one planter unless it’s huge.

Water generously the first time around and make sure the water drains properly out of the drain holes. Continue watering, but don’t waterlog.

Caring for black-eyed peas in a container is just like growing them in the ground. Sunlight, watering, and harvesting are largely the same and nothing is vastly different.

Common pests

Pea plants are susceptible to the usual bunch of suspects- aphids, bean beetles, root-knot nematodes, and beetles.

Although they tolerate drought very well, they don’t do that well against bugs and are vulnerable. You’ll want to act quickly to protect them so you can get the best yield possible.

Plant diseases

Blac, eyed peas may be diseased with bean mosaic virus, which comes from bugs.

Use a natural or organic insecticide to get rid of it.

Affected plants may be pruned to prevent further infestation.

Plant them in rows with plenty of distance to reduce the travel of mosaic virus and to have plants as a backup in case you need to cull some.

Companion plants

Celery companion plant black eyed peas.
Celery is a good companion plant and goes well with black-eyed pea recipes.

This goes hand in hand with the original idea of avoiding plants that are in the same family.

So don’t plant any other legumes near your cowpeas to minimize competition, pests, and bacterial infestations.

Back-eyed peas can be grown with companion plants like strawberries, celery, melon, radishes, turnips, corn, carrots, cucumber, and pretty much anything that’s not a bean or legume.

Also, don’t plant it with any garlic, onions, potatoes, or other pea plants. This will help get you the best possible yield and reduce the chance of pests and viruses.

Growing black-eyed peas in Florida

Florida has its own pea season and is a perfect environment to grow all sorts of pea pods- with black-eyed peas being one of them.

Southern states in the US generally fare well with cowpeas and Florida is no exception. Follow the steps in this guide to get the best yield.

For Floridians, plant them in the spring to harvest before the fall.

Since the winters are mild, it doesn’t matter if you’re a little late in planting. The beans should do fine even if you harvest in late fall.

Further reading

Here are some additional references you may find useful:

Did you grow your own black-eyed peas at home?

Black eyed pea soup grown from seed.
Enjoy your homegrown peas.

You now have all the basics down to plant and grow your own black-eyed peas straight from the grocery store.

Now you can grow organic ones for next to nothing and have a plentiful supply every summer for you to use in your favorite recipes.

Store them in jars to keep them fresh or propagate them for next year.

Do you have any questions? Did you paint your own peas? Leave a comment and let us know.

Have a bountiful harvest!

2 thoughts on “How to Grow Black-Eyed Peas from Seed (Guide)”

  1. You might check your quick care guide for accuracy. Amoung them;

    “8 weeks to germination”
    “4-7 years to bloom”

    Seems a little excessive.
    Other than that fine article

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