How to Plant Garbanzo

Garbanzo beans originated in the Middle East.

People eat more garbanzo beans (Cicer arietinum) than any other bean, according to agriculturists with Arizona State University. Also known as chickpeas, garbanzos require a long, warm growing period. They grow 2 to 3 feet tall, and bear two to three peas per pod. The beans are used in soups and stews, ground into hummus, or eaten as a snack. Garbanzo seedlings are frost-tolerant, so plant them early to get a head start on the season.

Things You'll Need

• Garden fork or spade
• Sand
• Starter fertilizer
• Rake

Instructions

1. Prepare the planting bed by lightly tilling the top 2 inches of soil. Incorporate a 2-inch layer of sand into the soil and a starter fertilizer, at the rate suggested on the label for the size of your garden.

2. Firm the seedbed by walking over it several times and then use the rake to remove your footprints.

3. Place the garbanzo bean seeds on the surface of the soil, 1 foot apart, and cover them with 1 inch of sand.

4. Moisten the garbanzo bed to a depth of 6 inches and then don't water again unless it doesn't rain for two weeks.

5. Harvest the garbanzo beans when they are still green or allow them to dry on the plant for dry beans.

Tips & Warnings

• There is no need to fertilize as garbanzos, like other legumes, fix nitrogen from the air and they do best in less-fertile soil

References

• Yuma County Cooperative Extension; Garbanzo Beans; Kurt Nolte
• Purdue University Extension; Growing Beans in the Home Vegetable Garden; B. Rosie Lerner