Summer Gardening: A 6-Step Guide To Growing Cowpeas At Home

Cowpeas, are a delicious and versatile legume packed with benefits. These legumes are easy to grow in the home garden and adaptable to warm climates, making them a fantastic addition to any Indian garden.?

Some important benefits of including cowpeas in your diet are lowering bad cholesterol, being rich in proteins, and improving heart health. So, if you want to enjoy them fresh and tender or store them for long-term use, growing your cowpeas, also called Lobiya, is a rewarding experience and here is a step-by-step guide for you:?

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How to grow Cowpea??

1. Location: To grow Cowpea, choose an area that receives 5-6 hours of direct sunlight.?
2. Soil: The soil needs to be fertile to grow Cowpeas so, make sure to loosen the soil 8-6 inches deep and add manure or compost a few weeks before sowing, to make the soil fertile.?
3. Climate: Cowpeas love hot and humid climates so you can sow the seed in summer or monsoon.?
4. Seeds: Buy seeds from local nurseries. If you're growing the bush varieties, sow the seeds 2-3 inches apart in rows spaced 18-24 inches. For vining varieties, sow the seeds 4-6 inches apart, and provide sturdy support like bamboo poles or the balcony railing.?
5. Watering: After planting water deeply. Watering every other day is recommended to keep the soil moist during germination. Once established, cowpeas are fairly drought-tolerant?
6. Pest: If you see any pests, use organic methods like neem oil spray or handpicking to control them.?

When to harvest Cowpeas??

Most cowpea varieties are ready for harvest within 60-90 days of planting. You can harvest cowpeas when the pods are plump and young for fresh shelling peas, and for dried beans allow them to dry completely on the vine.?

What are the benefits of Cowpeas??

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1. If you want to lose weight, adding cowpeas into your diet is very beneficial, as it is rich in protein and soluble fibre.?
2. If you get regular constipation, adding cowpeas can be helpful, as studies have shown soluble fibre can help with constipation.?
3. Cowpeas can also help improve heart health, as consuming them regularly can lower the total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.?
4. Diabetic patients can include cowpeas in their diet as cowpeas have a low glycemic index, meaning they don't make the blood sugar levels rapidly spike,?
5. Vitamins A and C found in Cowpeas help boost immunity.?

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