If you look at the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide you will see that southern peas are one of the refractory vegetables that can be planted in June, July and August. Black-eyed peas are one type of southern pea along with cream peas and crowd-sour peas. Black peas are easy to grow but how do you know when they are ripe? Black-eyed peas can be eaten at all different stages of maturity. They ripen quickly so pick them often, every two or three days.
Green pods As soon as the baby pods appear they can be eaten. These young, immature pods can be stir-fried whole or cut down and eaten as “snaps” like green beans. The younger pods are more tender. Once elongated, the peas will begin to form and become more fibrous and less desirable to eat. If you try to shell the peas during the green stage, it will be very difficult to separate the peas from the fleshy pod. . The young leaves can be taken as a salad when cooked. Although the tender young pods can also be enjoyed as vegetables. The beans can be cooked with rice and eaten with pepper soup. The beans can also be ground or blended with sweet peppers and onions to make moi-moi. This is one of the favorite West African food, especially among Nigerians.
In this article, I discussed how to grow black-eyed bean. I also looked at how to grow them in containers. I hope you find this article helpful. Let me know if you have any questions.
Planting Black-eyed Peas:
- You can start planting your black-eyed peas when the soil is workable and at least 65F.
- Choose a location that will receive full sun – at least 8 hours a day.
- If possible, buy seeds labeled “Wilt-resistant” to avoid any kind of disease.
- Plant each seed 1-1 1/2 inches deep, 2-4 inches apart, and in rows 2 1/2 to 3 feet apart.
- Make sure the soil is rich and moist.
- Rotate the crop every three to five years for the best yield and to prevent any possible diseases.
- Black-eyed peas are quite self-sufficient and only need water when it rains. Only water if there is little rain.
- Fertilizers should be limited.
When to Harvest Black-eyed Peas
Black-eyed peas are mature and ready to harvest in about 60 to 90 days, depending on the variety. However, the good thing about this legume is that you can harvest and eat them at any time during the development of the pods. The younger green pods will be tender. Eat them as you would green beans. Ripe pods will also be green, but they will be longer and bulging from the swollen peas inside. Shell the fresh peas and boil them until tender. Or let the pods sit until they are brown and dried. Drain the peas and save them for another day or soak them and then boil them to eat. If you choose to store the peas, make sure they are completely dry before storing in an airtight container. Be sure to save a handful of peas to use as next year’s seed!
Legumes are subject to some of the same pests as other plants such as aphids, leafhoppers, cutworms, and root-knot nematodes. But they also prefer the Mexican bean beetle, which is a yellow to copper-colored beetle similar in shape to the ladybug but larger in size. The best way to deal with this pest is to pick them off the plant. Another option would be to spray them with Neem oil solution. You can learn more about making your own pest control spray in this helpful article.
Harvest:
Southern peas will be ready to harvest in about 85-100 days after sprouting. Peas can be harvested at any time while still in their pods. Use scissors or carefully pick the pods from the stems. You can harvest when they are young and green or wait until they are brown on the vine for dry peas.
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