Southern Peas
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Agriculture and Natural Resources FSA6020 Home Gardening Series Southern Peas Craig R. Andersen Environment Associate Professor and Extension Specialist - Light Soil Vegetables Fertility pH Temperature Moisture – sunny – welldrained loam Culture– medium to light – 5.8 to 7.0 Planting – warm season Spacing – average to drought Hardiness resistant Cultural Practices Fertilizer Soils Southern Peas – Vigna unguiculata– seed 1 inch deep – 2 x 24 inches – tender annual – light Southern peas adapt to many soil types; medium fertility with pH of 5.8 to 7.0 is desirable. High fertility proPlanting Time The southern pea, also known as duces excessive vine growth and poor the cowpea, is thought to have origi yields. Nfixing bacteria inoculants nated in Africa, where it has been may increase yield especially in soils eaten for centuries. It traveled to where peas have not been grown. Egypt as long as 3,000 years ago and was common to the European and Asian diets. Southern peas were prob ably brought to the West Indies in the Plant southern peas after the soil 17th century. They later became a is thoroughly warm (62 degrees F common food in the United States. or greater) in late spring or early One of the more popular ways of cook summer. This vegetable is very toler ing blackeyed peas is a dish called Spacingant to hot weather and can be planted and Depth of Planting “Hoppin’ John,” a traditional African throughout the summer with very American dish served on New Year’s good results. For fall planting, plant Day for good luck. about 65 to 75 days prior to the average frost date to be sure of production. Visit our web site at: The southern pea (cowpea) is a http://www.uaex.edu very popular vegetable in Arkansas. While many different types are avail University of Arkansas,able (Blackeye, Pink Eye, Purple Hull, United States Department of Agriculture, and County GovernmentsThe space required will vary a bit Cooperating Cream and Crowder), they are all from variety to variety. Generally, southern peas and the basic culture is plant southern peas at a rate of five to Arkansas Is the same for all types. seven seeds per foot and 1 inch deep. Our Campus Cultivars Days to Seed/100 Ft Disease Resistance Variety Maturity of Row or Tolerance Remarks Elitear 70 4 oz Resistant to fusarium wilt. Cream, erect plant type, good yield and quality. Mississippi Silver 75 4 oz Resistant to fusarium wilt and nematodes. Cream crowder, semi-bush type, good yield and quality. Pink Eye Purple Hull BVR 75 4 oz Bacteria Virus Low, bushy, purple hull type. Resistant California Black Eye #5 75 Resistant to fusarium wilt. Erect plant type, good yield. Top Pick – 67 4 oz These are selections from Arkansas releases. Pink Eye, Cream or Erect plant type. Concentrated pod set. Brown Crowder High yield. ar = Arkansas release Care Q. Can I save seed from this year’s black-eyed pea crop for next year’s garden? plants but fail to set many pods. Thrips, an extremely small insect which attacks the blooms Normally, a light fertilizer application is applied of southern peas, can also cause poor pod set. at or prior to planting. Southern peas fix nitrogen fromHarvesting the air, thus excess nitrogen fertilizer may encourage vine growth at the expense of production. Q. Why are my pea plants always yellow when If prolonged periods of dry weather occur, irrigation A. Yes, but this is not recommended. Peas are during flowering and pod fill will be very beneficial they first come up then turn green after plantsself-pollinated, get larger? and seed may be saved for plant for maximum production. ing in next year’s garden. However, several types of seedborne diseases may show up if seeds are Common Problems saved for later plantings. Southern peas are normally harvested at the mature green or roasting ear stage. This stage is characterized by fully grown seed that have not Q. My southern peas come up every year started to dry. looking damaged. The leaves are curled and A. snarled.Yellow plants What early is wrong? in the season are usually caused by cool or wet soils. As the temperature warms and the soil dries, the plants will usually turn green. FrequentlySouthern peas Asked are not Questionstroubled with diseases and insect problems to the extent that snap beans are. FusariumQ. What causeswilt and my nematodes, southern two peas of the to growmore commonextremely problems, large can vines be controlled but fail by to cropset rotation, site anyselection pods? and resistant varieties. A. The apexes or shoots of the leaves were damaged when they were very small by a tiny insect called a thrip. The thrip rasps the tissue of the leaf’s growing point causing it to bleed or secrete plant Printed by University of Arkansas Cooperative Extensionjuices. TheService thrip Printing then Services. feeds on these juices. Most plants recover from this damage. Thrips can be DR. CRAIG R. ANDERSEN controlled with diazinon or malathion applied at A. Failure to set pods can be caused by a number of seven- to ten-day intervals. Spraying should things; the most common problem is overfertili begin when plants have just emerged since most zation. Southern peas, if overfertilized, grow large damage occurs then. is associate professor and Extension Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and specialist - vegetables, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, Fayetteville. Director, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas. The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligi ble persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected FSA6020-PD-3-09RV status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. .