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Hardee Cowpea (pole)
  • Hardee Cowpea (pole)
  • Hardee Cowpea (pole)
  • Hardee Cowpea (pole)
  • Hardee Cowpea (pole)
Hardee Cowpea (pole)

Vigna unguiculata
$4.50
Description

A new-ish cowpea variety released in 2010 by the Agricultural Research Service branch of USDA. This variety has a very vigorous and indeterminate growth habit and like most cowpeas, is recommended for use as a cover crop. The new strains are from improved selections of older landrace varieties for rapid growth, high biomass production, long vegetative growth period, and southern root knot nematode resistance.

We grew these up the Dudley Family Heirloom Corn in the summer of 2019 at The Family Organic Garden and they were indeed vigorous and productive. It was almost a mistake on our timing as the peas wanted to take over the corn rather than co-exist! But we harvested the corn just in time to let the peas take over.

This "Hardee" selection has long pods filled with beautiful red seeds. Eat pods when young and green, let grow longer for seed and you can eat them that way too, and save your best seeds for next year. We tasted a few different varieties and liked the red one best, a little more richness and good texture. A staple protein source in the South that can be used in so many ways.
Product details
  • About 30 seeds
  • 80 days to harvest
  • Seeds grown at The Family Garden in Gainesville, Florida
How to grow

Legumes are able to manufacture their own nitrogen (magic + science!) and typically do not need very rich soil or much fertilization at all. Well composted and healthy soils are still encouraged, but you will not need to offer them much in the way of fertilizer. In fact, too much will encourage rampant leafy growth at the expense of the pods.

Plant about 1"-1.5" deep, spaced 4-8" apart along a trellis of some sort ideally, as these are rampant vining plants and will do best this way, making picking easier. Cowpeas do not tolerate frosts and so should only be planted well after the last expected frost is over. Cowpeas can also be planted from spring and into late summer/early fall. Direct sowing is recommended as legumes don't appreciate the stress of moving from a pot into the ground.
How to save seeds

Legumes like beans and peas are among the easiest seeds to save! The biggest challenge in Florida is our humidity, which can make it difficult to get seed pods fully dry on the plant. For this reason, late-summer plantings can be especially good for seed saving, as the pods mature into the drier fall weather. Although, weather patterns are getting more unpredictable and this isn't always the case.

Allow the pods to dry indoors once harvested, and shell them soon afterward to reduce the chance of mold and pests taking up residence inside the pods. If the pods are nearly mature but the weather is staying humid, go ahead and harvest them early and finish drying them indoors.

Thorough drying is key to keeping cowpea seeds healthy and reducing the risk of weevils, which can damage or destroy stored seed. Continue drying the seeds with silica gel or clay drying beads, or use a household dehydrator on a low-temperature setting. Make sure the seeds are completely dry before storing.

Cowpeas are highly self-pollinating, so there is generally only a small chance of crossing between varieties. However, some large bumblebees can work their way into the flowers and transfer pollen between plants. This only matters if you are trying to maintain a variety’s purity; if you don’t mind a little genetic mixing, there’s no need to worry about it.

You can successfully save seed from just one plant, but saving from 5–10 plants is better, and 20 or more plants is even better for maintaining genetic diversity and long-term vigor.

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