Can You Plant Garbanzo Beans?

The Planting Site

• Garbanzo beans need a long growing season with at least three to four months of warm frost-free weather. In areas where summers are cool, garbanzo beans can take up to six months to mature for harvest. Getting an early start on the growing season is important, but starting too early will lead to despair. Bean seeds, especially garbanzo beans, require warm, relatively dry soil to germinate. Plant them too early and the bean seeds will rot in the damp, cold soil. Wait to plant garbanzo beans until the soil is at least 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Selecting the Seed

• Garbanzo beans from the pantry can be planted out as a seed crop. Select large, dry garbanzo beans that are free of mold or signs of damage. Wait until the soil is warm and has begun to dry out in the spring before planting. Some beans suffer from fungal attacks that cause the bean seed to rot in the ground before it has a chance to germinate. To avoid this problem, purchase bean seed from a seed supply source. Most beans sold as seed are treated with a fungicide.

Soil Preparation

• Clear out weeds and other plant material from the planting area. If the soil is heavy or has claylike consistency, add 1 to 2 inches of quality topsoil to the area and work it into the top 8 inches of soil. Garbanzo beans, like other legumes, are nitrogen fixing, meaning they take nitrogen that is in the air and bring it into the soil. Adding nitrogen fertilizer is not necessary, and in general, beans can grow quite well in poor soil conditions.

Planting Garbanzo Beans

• Make holes 1 inch deep and two to four inches apart in rows two to three feet apart. If you have a small bed, less than six feet wide and accessible from both sides, save room by planting the beans two to four inches apart over the entire area and leave the rows out all together. Drop one garbanzo bean into each hole and cover with 1 inch of soil. Water the bean seed after planting to settle the soil and stimulate germination.