Big Boy Purplehull, Cowpea Seeds

Big Boy Purplehull Cowpea Seed

Long pods pack an impressive 13 to 16 peas
Light-tan, oblong peas offer classic Southern flavor
High-yielding plants make efficient use of garden space
Excellent for fresh shelling and home cooking

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Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Vigna unguiculata

Days to maturity

60 Days

Sun

Full Sun

About Big Boy Purplehull, Cowpea Seed, Cowpea Seed

The Big Boy Purplehull is a high yielding, popular Southern cowpea that is great for home gardens. Big Boy Purplehull is a long podded variety with 13-16 peas per pod that are light tan in color and oblong shape. This is a good garden variety and is very prolific. If you are using for Nitrogen fixation we highly recommend using a cowpea inoculant.

Growing details

Planting

Sow Depth

1/2"

Days to Germination

4–10 days

In-row plant spacing

1½-3"

Row Spacing

30-36"

Plant profile

Maturity

Summer

Life Cycle

Annual

Plant Height

18 inches

Growth Habits

Upright, Vining

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

103

Seed Type

Open Pollinated

Growing Season

Warm-Season Crop

Before Planting

A successful Cowpea planting begins with a full-sun location with loose, well-drained soil and avoid heavy nitrogen applications. Incorporate compost only if the soil is poor, and use a soil test to correct pH, phosphorus, or potassium. Inoculate cowpea seed with the appropriate legume inoculant where compatible legumes have not recently grown, and install supports before planting climbing types.

Planting

Direct sow cowpea when soil temperatures match the crop’s preference and the ground is not waterlogged. Maintain moderate moisture through emergence, since saturated soil can rot seed. Most legumes establish best without transplanting. Leave 3–6 inches between upright cowpeas or 6–12 inches for vigorous climbing types.

Watering

Cowpea needs about 1 inch of water weekly, especially while flowering and forming pods. Water deeply at soil level, but avoid keeping the root zone continuously wet.

Fertilizer

Avoid routine nitrogen fertilizer on cowpea; healthy nodules normally supply the crop’s needs. Correct phosphorus, potassium, or pH deficiencies only as indicated by a soil test.

Harvesting

Pick cowpea regularly when pods reach expected length and seeds are at the desired stage. Hold the stem while removing pods. Leave seed crops until pods and seeds are thoroughly dry.

Tips

Provide a trellis for yardlong and other vining cowpeas; bush types generally need no support. Cultivate shallowly, harvest pods regularly, and avoid handling wet foliage.

AVG. Seeding Rate

1–6 seeds/ft.; 15–30 lb./acre

Pests & Diseases

Fusarium wilt, bacterial blight, anthracnose, Cercospora leaf spot, and mosaic viruses affect cowpeas. Resistant varieties and clean seed are especially valuable. Remove mosaic-patterned plants, control aphid vectors, rotate legumes, and avoid saving spotted pods. Root rot increases when cowpeas follow susceptible beans too frequently.

Watch cowpea for aphids, weevils, beetles, cutworms, and mites. Remove egg clusters and badly infested foliage, protect seedlings with collars, and avoid unnecessary broad-spectrum insecticides.