Description

Pinkeye Purple Hull' are productive, compact, 2'-tall plants that don't need to be staked, and produce prolifically in drier conditions than other beans. Cowpeas, also called crowder peas, are very nutritious, low in fat and high in fiber and protein. Serve with cooked greens, ham hocks, and rice for a traditional Southern dish, or add to your favorite soup or stew. 62 days for fresh; 90 for dry cowpeas.

Botanical Name: Vigna unguiculata
Days to Maturity: 62–90 days
Family: Fabaceae
Native: Africa
Hardiness: Frost-sensitive annual
Plant Dimensions: 24″ tall, bushy plants
Variety Information: Cylindrical, 6″ long pods produced on crown of plant. Medium to large cream-colored seed with a red or maroon “eye”.
Type: Shelling bean

When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is at least 65°F, ideally 70°–85°F. Successive Sowings: Every 7 to 14 days up to 80 days before your average first fall frost date. NOTE: In very hot summer areas, skip sowing as high heat approaches; temperatures consistently above 90°F will prevent beans from forming.
When to Start Inside: Not recommended; bean seedlings are sensitive to root disturbance.
Days to Emerge: 6–12 days
Seed Depth: 1″
Seed Spacing: 1 seed every 3″–4″
Row Spacing: 24″–36″
Thinning: Not requried

Harvesting: For fresh, tasty cowpeas, shell seeds or enjoy in pod about 60 days after sowing, when peas just start to swell in the pod; seeds will be developed but not hard at this point. For dried beans, wait until the pods are dry and straw-colored to harvest. Young foliage is also edible and enjoyed like spinach. At season's end, plants are great compost material if they are disease-free.

This packet sows up to 33 feet. 100 seeds.