Black Crowder, Cowpea Seeds

Black Crowder Cowpea Seed

Dramatic peas mature from deep purple to black
Long green pods shell cleanly and easily
High-yielding plants supply generous warm-season harvests
Distinctive dried peas bring color to pantry recipes

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Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Vigna unguiculata

Days to maturity

75 Days

Sun

Full Sun

About Black Crowder, Cowpea Seed, Cowpea Seed

The Black Crowder cowpea is a high yielding variety of long pods. The cowpeas themselves have a deep purple color when first shelled which then turn black when dried. The Black Crowder's green pods are easy to shell.

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

36 inches

Growth Habits

Upright, Vining

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

150

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.