GrowSabzHow to grow chickpea in pots
Also called Garbanzo Bean, Bengal Gram, chana, chhola · Cicer arietinum
چنا
- ☀️ Sunlight
- 6–8hours daily
- 💧 Water
- 0.7 Levery 3 days, 10 L pot
- 🌡️ Ideal temp
- 18–24°C
- 🪴 Min pot
- 10 L25 cm deep
- 🧺 Harvest
- 60–80days from sowing
- ⚖️ Yield
- 1 kgper 20 L pot
Chickpea keeps producing once it starts. First picking comes around day 60, and the plant then crops for roughly 45 more days — but only if you keep picking. Crop left on the plant is a signal to stop making more.
Short answer
Grow chickpea in a 10 litre container at least 25 cm deep, watering about 600 ml per 10 litres of soil every 3 days, and keep temperatures between 18 and 24 °C. First harvest comes 60–80 days after sowing.
Where to plant it
What size pot does chickpea need?
10 litres and 25 cm deep is the realistic minimum for a single plant. Pick a container below to see what changes.
| Container | Minimum size | Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pot | 10 L | 25 cm | Use pots with good drainage. Chickpeas prefer direct sowing. |
| Grow bag | 10 L | 25 cm | Fabric bags provide good aeration and drainage. |
| Open ground | — | 30 cm | Ensure well-drained soil and proper spacing. |
| Raised bed | 20 L | 30 cm | Excellent for drainage and soil control. |
Watering
How often should you water chickpea?
Every 3 days through the growing season, at about 600 ml per 10 litres of soil — every 2 days in hot weather, every 5 days when it turns cool. Water in the early morning. Drip irrigation or furrow irrigation works best.
Too little water
- wilting
- leaf yellowing
- reduced pod set
Too much water
- yellowing leaves
- stunted growth
- root rot
Avoid: overhead watering; standing water; soggy soil.
Climate
Can you grow chickpea where you live?
No hardiness zone needed — compare your actual temperatures against the plant's own limits.
| Ideal range | 18 – 24 °C |
|---|---|
| Survives | 0 – 35 °C |
| Germinates above | 5 °C — best at 18 °C, about 7 days |
| Flowers drop | above 30 °C, or below 5 °C |
| Sunlight | 6–10 hrs/day, best 8 |
| Frost | Medium sensitivity |
The flower-drop thresholds matter more than the survival ones. A plant can be perfectly alive at 35 °C and still give you nothing.
How cold is too cold for chickpea? Check your temperaturesEnter your night low and day high — see if it survives, and if it will cropTimeline
Chickpea growing stages, day by day
Click any stage to see what's happening. Durations shift with temperature — a warm season runs roughly a quarter faster than a cool one.
Feeding
Fertiliser schedule for chickpea
Feed on the interval below, changing what you give as the plant shifts from making leaves to making fruit.
| Stage | What to use | Per 10 L | Every |
|---|
How to prepare each feed
Common mistakes
Why chickpea fails, and how to avoid it
- A container that is too small
Below 10 litres the root run is too shallow. The plant grows, flowers late, and drops whatever it sets because it cannot support the crop.
- Watering too lightly
A daily splash wets the top few centimetres and nothing else. Chickpea wants about 600 ml per 10 litres of soil — one deep soak beats three shallow ones.
- Ignoring the flower-drop threshold
Above 30 °C, or below 5 °C, flowers fall before setting. The plant can look perfectly healthy and still give you nothing — shade it through the hottest hours.
- Harvesting too late
Left too long the colour changes, seeds harden and the flavour sharpens. Pick on the signs listed below, not on the calendar.
- Planting it beside Onion
Alliums (onions, garlic, leeks) can inhibit the growth of legumes like chickpeas.
Companions
What to plant with chickpea
Good neighbours
Provides shade for chickpeas in hot climates, and chickpeas fix nitrogen in the soil, benefiting corn.
Roots produce chemicals that deter root-knot nematodes, and flowers repel other harmful insects.
Benefits from the nitrogen fixed by chickpeas and has shallow roots that don't compete for resources.
Its strong scent can deter various pests that might target chickpeas.
Keep apart from
Alliums (onions, garlic, leeks) can inhibit the growth of legumes like chickpeas.
Known to release substances from its roots that can inhibit the growth of many nearby plants, including chickpeas.
Other legumes like peas or lentils can compete for similar soil nutrients and may share common pests and diseases.
Some members of the Brassica family (cabbage, broccoli) are thought to stunt the growth of chickpeas.
Problems
Chickpea pests and diseases
Each lists the weather that brings it on, so you know when to start checking rather than reacting once it's established.
Ascochyta Blight humidity >80% · temp 15-25
Causes dark, sunken lesions on leaves, stems, and pods, often with concentric rings. Can girdle stems and lead to plant death.
Fusarium Wilt humidity any · temp >25
Causes yellowing of lower leaves, wilting, and stunting, often affecting one side of the plant. Vascular tissue may show discoloration.
Rust humidity >70% · temp 18-25
Appears as small, reddish-brown pustules (rust-colored spots) on leaves and stems, leading to defoliation and reduced yield.
Aphids humidity any · temp 15-25
Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new growth and the undersides of leaves, sucking sap and secreting sticky honeydew. Can transmit viruses.
Pod Borer humidity any · temp >20
Larvae (caterpillars) feed on flowers and bore into developing pods, consuming the seeds inside. Can cause significant yield loss.
Damping Off humidity high · temp <20
Seedlings collapse at the soil line, often before emergence, due to fungal infections in cool, wet soil conditions.
Root Knot Nematodes humidity any · temp >20
Microscopic worms that infect roots, causing galls or swellings. Leads to stunted growth, yellowing, and reduced yield due to impaired water and nutrient uptake.
Harvest
When to harvest chickpea
First picking falls between day 60 and day 80, and the plant then keeps producing for about 45 days. Pick often — what you leave on the plant signals it to stop making more.
How to tell it's ready
- Pods are plump and bright green, seeds are well-formed but still soft (for green chickpeas)
- Pods turn yellow/brown and dry, seeds are hard (for dry chickpeas)
How much to expect
Storing it: Refrigerate fresh pods in a perforated bag for up to a week. Dry chickpeas should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Questions
Chickpea: common questions
How long does chickpea take to grow?
About 100 days from sowing to the first harvest, with picking usually starting between day 60 and day 80. It then keeps producing for roughly 45 more days. Warm weather pulls that forward; cool weather pushes it back.
What size pot does chickpea need?
At least 10 litres and 25 cm deep for one plant. A raised bed wants 20 litres of soil and 30 cm of depth.
How often should I water chickpea?
About 600 ml per 10 litres of soil, every 3 days in normal weather — every 2 days when it is hot and every 5 days when cool. Water in the early morning.
What temperature does chickpea need?
It does best between 18 °C and 24 °C and survives from 0 °C to 35 °C. Seed needs soil above 5 °C to germinate, ideally around 18 °C.
Can I grow chickpea in winter?
It tolerates cold better than most, down to about 0 °C, so a sheltered spot or a cold frame will often carry it through.
How do I know when chickpea is ready to harvest?
Pods are plump and bright green, seeds are well-formed but still soft (for green chickpeas); Pods turn yellow/brown and dry, seeds are hard (for dry chickpeas). Once picked: refrigerate fresh pods in a perforated bag for up to a week. dry chickpeas should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
How much does one chickpea plant produce?
Roughly 1 kg from a 20 litre container, or about 2.5 kg in open ground. Larger containers give proportionally more, up to a point.