Garden results: Chickpeas and Lentils

When I first posted about what I was growing this year I mentioned chickpeas and lentils. I got these out of bulk food bins at a local grocery. I stuck them in the ground and half expected no growth (due to chemical treatment, GMO, or radiation treatment). However, I had 100% germination and they grew great! In fact, I would say these are two awesome home garden legumes that people ignore. What I did is planted 3 or 4 seeds in a cluster only an inch apart in 3 gallon pots. They both grew to a height of about 12 to 18".

The Chickpeas (also known as Garbanzo Beans) grew a bit top heavy so I surrounded them with a sort of cage of 10" decorative wire fencing material to assist in keeping the plants upright. Very much like a typical pea, the pods quickly grow to full size and the bean/pea inside slowly grows to maturity. I found a good way to check the maturity of a Chickpea is the same way I do with Peas. At night, put a bright light behind the pod and see the shadow of the bean/pea inside. Now, if you want full maturity beans/peas, just wait until the pod turns yellow instead of green (just as you would wait for a pea pod to get bumpy and hard). However, just like peas, I prefer immature Chickpeas. They have a more tender texture, are a bit more watery and a different taste than matured beans/peas. It all depends upon your preference and your planned use (I love fresh green veggies and don't like many cooked). Of course, Chickpeas are one of the more versatile crops as well, dried mature Chickpeas can be used as a flour or as a cooked or raw bean once soaked in water and non-dried and young beans/peas are good raw or as a bean as well.

The Lentils are interesting too. Much like a typical pea plant, Lentil plants have tendrils. Since I planted 3 or 4 seeds in a close grouping, they latched onto each other to form a thick bramble bush cluster. I did not give them any support, as I did with the Chickpeas, because Lentil plants are much lighter (very thin stems and branches and tiny leaves). The pods look like miniature pea pods and have from 1 to 3 beans/peas in each one. Again, like peas and chickpeas, I prefer lentils young and raw. But once mature they can easily be harvested and dried in or out of the pods and become the hard little discs you see in the grocery after only a couple days of open air drying. Lentils do not require a light to examine, just look and feel how flat the pods are and you can see and feel when they are being filled in with 1 or more beans/peas.

For both Chickpeas and Lentils, the proper full maturity harvest time is to maintain the plant with proper care until it decides to die. Once it dies and browns, it is time to harvest. Pretty much the same as if you desire full maturity peas or beans (legumes) of any kind.