Chickpea

Pests & beneficial insects

🐛 Prone to: Aphids

Aphids

Aphididae

Curled leaves, sticky honeydew and ants on patrol — usually with something already eating them.

, Caterpillars

Caterpillars

Lepidoptera larvae

Holes, droppings, and a pest you can simply pick off by hand.

.

Attract Hoverflies

Hoverflies

Syrphidae

The adults only drink nectar. It is the larvae that eat the aphids.

, Lacewings

Lacewings

Chrysopidae

Golden-eyed adults that mostly drink; larvae that hunt like small alligators.

, Ladybugs

Ladybugs

Coccinellidae

The one predator here where the adults hunt as hard as the larvae do.

, Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps

Braconidae, Ichneumonidae and relatives

Pinhead-sized, stingless, and lethal to aphids and caterpillars from the inside.

to keep them in check — plant African MarigoldExcellent, French MarigoldExcellent and BuglossGreat nearby.

Growing from seed

Direct-sow Chickpea outdoors around your last frost date, keeping seeds in warm soil (around 20–25 °C). Seeds usually come up in around 14 days. Grow in full sun, spaced about 15 cm apart. Expect to harvest in roughly 100 days.

Keep track of the seeds you own.

Companion Planting

• 
  African Marigold
  

  African MarigoldExcellent pair

  • ❧African Marigold attracts Hoverflies and Lacewings and more, which prey on the Aphids that attack Chickpea
  • ❧Chickpea fixes nitrogen in the soil that African Marigold feeds on
  • ❧African Marigold suppresses pests that trouble Chickpea
• 
  French Marigold
  

  French MarigoldExcellent pair

  • ❧French Marigold attracts Hoverflies and Lacewings and more, which prey on the Aphids that attack Chickpea
  • ❧Chickpea fixes nitrogen in the soil that French Marigold feeds on
  • ❧French Marigold suppresses pests that trouble Chickpea
• 
  Moldavian dragonhead
  

  Moldavian dragonheadExcellent pair

  • ❧Moldavian dragonhead attracts Hoverflies and Parasitic wasps, which prey on the Aphids and Caterpillars that attack Chickpea
  • ❧Chickpea fixes nitrogen in the soil that Moldavian dragonhead feeds on
  • ❧Chickpea draws Bees that improve pollination for both

How to grow Chickpea

1. Sow0 weeks from frost
2. Germinates14 days
3. Space15 cm apart
4. GrowFull sun
5. Harvest~100 days

Water: Low · Height: 60 cm · Soil: Well-draining, sandy — drought-tolerant once established