How to grow chickpea (garbanzo)
Family Fabaceae. Hardy to USDA hardiness zone 5a+ (U.S. Department of Agriculture). Full sun. Ready in 90-120 days.
Sun
Full sun
Spacing
4-6 in
Days to harvest
90-120 days
Hardiness
Zone 5a+
What growers actually recorded
Loading zone 7b results…
When to plant chickpea (garbanzo)
- Direct sow: ~-1 weeks after last frost.
Companion plants for chickpea (garbanzo)
Plant with: Carrot, Cucumber, Cabbage.
Avoid near: Onion, Garlic.
Common pests & problems
Pod borer, rarely serious in home gardens.
Feeding & fertilizer
N-P-K ratio: LOW N: beans fix their own nitrogen
Organic options: Compost at planting is enough · Rock phosphate for pods · Wood ash for potassium if soil is deficient
When to feed: Do not add nitrogen fertilizer. You'll get leaves, no pods. One compost dose at planting.
Watch for: Inoculate seeds with rhizobia the first time you grow legumes in a bed.
N = nitrogen (leaves), P = phosphorus (roots and flowers), K = potassium (fruit and disease resistance). How to read a fertilizer label →
Grower's tip
Needs a dry finish: stop watering once pods fill out so the seed cures instead of rotting.
When to plant chickpea (garbanzo) in your zone
Free month-by-month sowing and transplanting lists, built from frost dates for your USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) hardiness zone.
Soil & water for chickpea (garbanzo)
Soil & pH
6.0-7.5: tolerates alkaline soil well
Light, well-drained soil; chickpea is prone to root and pod rot in wet, heavy ground.
Skip nitrogen; inoculate with the correct rhizobia strain the first season in a new bed.
Watering
0.5-1 in / week: a dryland crop, most tolerant of drought once established among common garden legumes
Base watering only during flowering and pod fill; otherwise let soil dry between waterings.
Wet foliage and humid, damp conditions are the main disease risk for chickpea, not drought; water at the base, not overhead.
Knowing when to harvest
- Pods (each holding just 1-2 seeds) turn tan and papery and the plant as a whole yellows and dries.
- Pull whole plants when most pods are dry rather than picking individual pods, since chickpea pods are small and picking is inefficient.
- Finish drying pulled plants under cover 1-2 weeks, then thresh once seeds are hard.
Storing & keeping
Fully dried chickpeas store a year or more in a sealed container in a cool, dark, dry location.
What to expect
Per plant: About 0.25-0.5 lb dry seed per plant
Troubleshooting chickpea (garbanzo)
Foliage develops gray-brown lesions and dies back
Likely cause: Ascochyta blight, a serious fungal disease favored by wet, humid weather
What to do: Use disease-free seed, avoid overhead watering, remove and destroy infected plant debris, rotate away from chickpea for several years if it appears.
Sticky, resin-like residue on the plant irritates skin
Likely cause: Chickpea foliage naturally exudes malic and oxalic acid droplets
What to do: Wear gloves when handling plants extensively; this is a normal chickpea trait, not a disease.
Poor pod set in humid climates
Likely cause: Chickpea performs best in dry, low-humidity conditions typical of its Mediterranean and dryland origins
What to do: Choose the driest, sunniest spot available and avoid overhead irrigation.
Varieties worth growing
Kabuli (large, cream-colored)
The familiar large chickpea/garbanzo type sold dry and canned.
Desi (small, dark)
Smaller-seeded, more heat- and drought-tolerant type used for split dal.
Principe
Widely available Kabuli-type garden variety with reliable germination.
Growing chickpea (garbanzo) in containers
Possible in a container but low-yielding per square foot; a dedicated dry, sunny bed suits it better.
Nutrition
Complete plant protein (with grains), folate, iron, molybdenum.
Common questions
Why does my skin itch after working around chickpea plants?
Chickpea foliage secretes small amounts of malic and oxalic acid that can irritate skin on contact; long sleeves or gloves prevent it.
Why did my chickpeas fail in a humid summer?
Chickpea is adapted to dry climates and is prone to Ascochyta blight and pod rot in humid, wet conditions; choose the driest site available and avoid overhead watering.
Where these numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023 revision). Zone assignment and the 30-year normals behind every cold-hardiness figure.
- NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 Climate Normals. Frost dates, growing-season length, and the probability bands on both.
- Cornell, UMN, and UC Davis Cooperative Extension crop guides. Spacing, days to maturity, soil pH targets, and per-plant yield ranges.
- USDA FSIS / FDA Produce Safety guidance. Wash, cure, and cold-storage handling numbers.
Ranges are regional guidance, not a promise for your yard. Your own logged results always override the published range.