Cowpea Edible Giant

(vigna unguiculata) - Certified Organic Seed - Grown at Greenpatch Organic Seeds

Cowpea is a annual legume growing to 1.5m producing mauve flowers and green pods which can be eaten when young. Used cooked for pulses, or as a green manure soil improver.

Pests may included Small Brown Bean Bug & White Fly. Where needed use exclusion netting, neem or pyrethrum and good soil health practices to minimise pest impact.

How to Grow

Cowpea is a fast growing legume for growing in average to good soil types. It will fix nitrogen when the correct inoculant is used (see link below) so ensure you don't over fertilise with nitrogen. Sow a couple of seeds direct into the garden and cover with 1cm of soil. Keep moist until germinated. Once seeds emerge thin out to the strongest plant with a spacing of 40cm apart. We recommend covering with vege net before pods start to set if you have the Small Brown Bean Bug in your area. This will exclude the pest and ensure you get a clean harvest free of damages pods. 

You can harvest young pods and cook them to soften or allow the pods to mature harvesting the dried seeds for use as a pulse. 

Sow Spring-Summer

Packet contains approx 45 seeds.

Open pollinated variety, Non - Hybrid, Non - GMO

70-90 days to harvest

Nitrogen Fixing Legume

For Cowpea inoculant please order seperately here: https://www.greenpatchseeds.com.au/mungbean-inoculant-also-cowpea-rice-bean-snake-bean.html

Uses

You can harvest young pods and cook them to soften or allow the pods to mature harvesting the dried seeds for use as a pulse in stews, soups etc.