Cultivating Cowpea Crops

Cowpeas, or field peas, are legumes commonly grown today for food, hay, grazing, and soil building. A native of central Africa, the cowpea has spread to practically all warm, tillable areas of the earth.

Cowpeas are very popular in the state of Georgia, and make a good, relatively inexpensive soil builder. Very easy to grow, field peas thrive on practically any type of well-drained soil with a pH in the range of 5.5 to 6.5. They are generally able to withstand drought fairly well. As soil conditioners, they make sandy ground more compact and heavy clays more friable through added humus. The legume reactivates dead soil with myriads of bacteria from nodules-supplying nitrogen. For this reason, gardeners should apply a limited amount of nitrogen to the soil or face a pea crop with lush growth and low yields.

For food, cowpeas are prepared as follows: soak peas in lukewarm water several hours, then let simmer at low heat until tender. Season with pork fat, onion, cheese, green pepper for a tasty, sustaining dish. Cowpeas have 19.4% protein, 54.5% carbohydrates, and 1.1% fat. Their vitamin content, especially B1, is high. 

Plant cowpeas an inch deep and about three inches apart in well-drained soil in late spring and every two weeks thereafter until July 15 for a succession. Sow them in double rows six to eight inches apart and the rows three to four feet apart. One pound of seed sows 100 feet of drill if spaced three to four inches apart.  

I would like to review some of the more popular cowpea varieties as well as some not so familiar ones, as you may want to consider planting some this year.

   *Big Boy (60 days) is a prolific home garden, dual purpose type edible pea, ideal for canning and freezing. A medium-early semi-vining pea.

   *Cream 40 (60 days) is a cross between the extra early Blackeye and a midseason Cream variety. Pods are high above the foliage. Vining is at lower levels and does not interfere with harvest. Developed to fill the need for an early, more productive long pod Cream variety.

   *Pinkeye Purplehull (50 days) is one of the most popular peas. A true white purplehull pod for market, freezing, or shipping. When green, the peas are white with a small purple eye. Flavor is excellent. With favorable weather, will produce two crops on the same plants in one season. 

   *Zipper Cream (70 days) is one of the most popular peas around the middle Georgia area. Large pods filled with whitish-green irregular-shaped peas. Easy to shell by hand, like unzipping a zipper. Very prolific pea.

   *Mississippi Silver (55 days) is a crowder pea with beautiful silver-colored pods. It is earlier, has less vine, more concentrated yield, and shells much easier than any other crowder type. Bunch type plant. 

   *Calico Crowder (also called Polecat Pea or Hereford Pea) are buff-colored with maroon splashes. Very flavorful.

   *Big Red (Mandy) Ripper is an heirloom variety from Virginia and North Carolina. A pea with 10” pods containing up to 18 peas per pod! Reddish-green pods are borne high on the vines, which are resistant to heat and drought.

   *Coronet Pinkeye: An improved pinkeye purplehull variety.

   *Mississippi Pinkeye 2: An improved pinkeye with better seedling vigor and cold tolerance

    *Elite Crowder: A prolific bush-type cream pea with large pods and easy-to-shell peas. 

     *California Blackeye No. 46: An improved blackeye variety with more erect plants and good yields. 

     *Dixie Lee: A popular variety known for its high yield, disease resistance, and adaptability. 

     *Sadandy (Sa Dandy): An open-pollinated variety with small, white cream peas. 

     *Knuckle Purple Hull: A bush-type cowpea with purple pods and large, plump peas. 

There are many other cowpea varieties to choose from, but space does not permit a fair description of them. Try some cowpeas in your garden-you’ll be glad you did!   

Tim Lewis is a Georgia Green Industry Association Certified Plant Professional, gardening writer, and former Perry High School horticulture instructor. He can be reached at (478)954-1507 or timlewis1@windstream.net.