Cowpeas Growing Info
Learning Download: How to Grow Cowpea
How to Plant:
Till ground before planting. Then firm ground to make flat. Use a seed drill to get seeds underground and protected from light and heat. Smaller garden areas can be broadcast seeded and raked into the soil.
Using Inoculants:
Rhizobium bacteria does not usually exist in high enough quantities to inoculate an entire crop of legumes. When legumes are inoculated with the proper strain of Rhizobium bacteria, they produce large, pink nodules on the roots of the legumes. The pinkish color comes from the presence of a hemoglobin-like molecule that is necessary for nitrogen fixation to occur. To inoculate, moisten seeds with just enough water to coat the seeds in a shallow bowl, pour on the inoculant and mix well to coat seeds. Plant seeds immediately after inoculation.
Seeding Rates:
| Sowing Season | Seeding Depth | Seeding Rate (1,000 Sq. Ft.) | Seeding Rate (1 Acre) | |
|
Alfalfa
|
Spring & Summer | 1/4 – 1/2″ | 1/2 lbs. | 15-25 lbs. |
| Clover, Red | Anytime | 1/4 – 1/2″ | 1/2 lbs. | 25-30 lbs. |
| Clover, Sweet | Spring & Summer | 1/4 – 1/2″ | 1/2 lb. | 25-30 lbs. |
| Clover, White | Spring & Summer | 1/4 – 1/2″ | 1/4 lb. | 5-15 lbs. |
| Cowpeas | Spring & Summer | 1 – 1/2″ | 2 lbs. | 75 – 125 lbs. |
| Peas, Field | Spring or Fall | 1 1/2 – 3″ | 3 lbs. | 100-150 lbs. |
| Soybeans | Spring to Summer | 1″ | 4 lbs. | 150-175 lbs. |
| Vetch, Hairy | Anytime | 1/2 – 1 1/2″ | 1 lb. | 25-50 lbs. |
Cover Crop Calculator:
1 Acre = 43,560 square feet, or 435’x100′
Weight Conversion:
1 Pound = 16 Ounces
