How to Plant and Grow Pigeon Peas

Drought-tolerant and heat-resistant pigeon peas are an easy-to-grow staple food, and they attract pollinators too.

A top ingredient in African, Asian, and Latin American cuisines, pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan) are easy-to-grow plants that can stretch up to 12 feet tall when kept as perennials. However, as food crops, pigeon peas are mostly grown as annuals, and they’re prized for their heat tolerance, which keeps them productive in summer, long after other pea plants have faded.

Pigeon peas can be used just like corn, and they are usually easier to grow and require less water and fertilizer. Rich in protein and amino acids, pigeon peas can be used fresh or dried, and they have a deep, nutty flavor that’s irresistible in stews, rice dishes, and more.

Gardeners usually grow pigeon peas as a food crop, but these plants also make exceptional animal fodder, and their bright, golden-yellow flowers attract native bees. Like other legumes, pigeon peas add nitrogen to the soil, and they can break up compacted soil with their long tap roots.

Where to Plant Pigeon Peas

Pigeon peas aren’t picky plants, and they can grow in a range of soil types, including loam, clay, or sand, but one thing all pigeon pea plants need is lots of sun. When selecting a location to grow pigeon peas, choose an area of your garden that receives at least 6-8 hours of full sun daily. Garden beds should spacious enough to allow your plants to spread out.

While pigeon peas can be planted in rows in vegetable gardens, you can also plant pigeon peas in ornamental beds to shelter lower-growing plants from wind and bright light. Pigeon peas are also spectacular pollinator plants, making them a welcome addition to pollinator gardens.

These plants aren’t cold-hardy, so they are typically grown as annuals, but they can grow as perennials in USDA Zones 9-12.

How and When to Plant Pigeon Peas

Pigeon peas are slow-growing plants that need 120 to 140 days to mature sufficiently to produce pods. While direct sowing is usually recommended, if you live in an area with a short growing season, you may want to start pigeon peas indoors in spring to ensure they have enough time to mature before autumn.

When direct sowing pigeon peas in the garden, plant seeds 3 to 4 inches apart in rows spaced 40 inches from each other, and bury the seeds about 3/4 to 1 inch deep. Alternatively, you can plant three or four pigeon pea seeds together in hills spaced 4 to 5 feet apart. After pigeon peas sprout their first sets of true leaves, thin the seedlings out so they’re 1 foot apart or 3 feet apart if you are growing the plants as perennials.

To extend the growing season, start pigeon pea seeds indoors several weeks before the last frost date in spring. For best results, start the seeds in potting soil. Use peat pots, which can be planted in the garden along with your seedlings. The pots protect the seedlings’ tender roots at planting time and help prevent transplant shock.

Related: The 11 Best Seed-Starting Soil Mixes of 2023

Pigeon Pea Care Tips

Drought-tolerant and heat-tolerant pigeon pea plants can thrive in summer, and most varieties are sufficiently salt-resistant to grow in coastal spots. While these plants are generally resistant to pests, young pigeon peas can be outcompeted by weeds, so it’s important to weed the garden frequently to keep the plants growing strong.

Related: The 8 Best Weeding Tools on Amazon for a Flourishing Garden, Starting at $13

Light

Pigeon peas are full-sun plants, and they need at least 6-8 hours of bright light daily to flower and produce pods.

Soil and Water

Pigeon peas can grow in a range of well-draining soil types, but they do best when pH levels are between 5.0 and 8.0. While these plants can grow in dense, clay-heavy gardens, they’ll do better if you mix compost or aged manure into the top few inches of soil before planting.

Pigeon peas are drought-tolerant plants, and they may not need any supplemental water after they are established in your garden. However, while pigeon pea plants are still young, they benefit from deep and regular watering.

Temperature and Humidity

Pigeon peas are not frost-hardy, but they handle the heat like champs. Although pigeon peas remain productive throughout the warmer months, they grow best in hot, humid environments when temperatures are between 64°F and 100°F.

Fertilizer

Because pigeon peas can fix their own nitrogen in the soil, they usually don’t need any extra fertilizer. In fact, if pigeon peas get too much fertilizer, they produce leaves instead of pods.

Pruning

Pigeon peas don’t need to be pruned, but you can prune the plants to reshape them or increase airflow. Pruning can also make plants more productive, but don’t cut away more than 1/3 of the plant at a time, and only cut about 4 to 5 inches away from the terminal ends of pea branches and stems.

Harvesting

You can harvest pigeon peas either fresh or dried, depending on your tastes. Pea pods should start to develop several weeks after the plants begin to flower.

To harvest fresh pigeon peas, pinch the pods away from the plant’s stem when the pods begin to fill out and are a bright green color. When harvesting, you may want to use scissors to avoid damaging the plant’s stems.

For dried peas, allow the pods to dry on the plant, remove them individually, and allow them to finish drying indoors. You can also remove the entire plant from your garden and hang it upside down in a cool, dry place until the pods are dry and you can hear peas rattling inside them.

Pests and Problems

Pigeon peas are hardy plants that are resistant to many pests and diseases, with a few exceptions. Here are some of the most common issues you may encounter when growing pigeon peas.

Deer can do a lot of damage in gardens and devour lots of vegetable plants, including pigeon peas. When deer invade, they can gobble up entire plants, strip leaves from branches, and trample pea plants underfoot. Fencing that’s at least 8 feet tall is the best option for preventing deer in gardens, but you can also use other remedies, like companion planting or predator urine sprays.

Voles are small, burrowing mammals that look a lot like mice, but they can do significant damage to plant roots. If you have voles in your yard, you may want to grow pigeon peas in pots or grow bags to prevent predation. You can also install hardware cloth beneath raised beds, which will keep voles from burrowing into your garden.

Armyworms are the caterpillars of certain moths, and they love munching on plant leaves. Armyworms can riddle plants with holes or skeletonize leaves entirely. Companion planting can help prevent armyworms from invading, while existing infestations can be treated with Thuricide BT, which is approved for organic garden issues.

How to Propagate Pigeon Peas

Pigeon pea plants are best propagated by seed. To harvest seeds from existing pigeon pea plants, let the pods dry on the plant until they start to release the seeds, and then cut the pod from the plant. Whether you leave the seeds in the dry pods or remove them, they still need to dry for an additional two weeks. Store the seeds (or the pods with seeds) in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid in a refrigerator or another cool, dry, unheated area such as a basement. In the spring, direct sow the seeds in a prepared garden bed or start them indoors in peat pots for transplanting later.

Types of Pigeon Peas

More than 80 varieties of pigeon peas are available in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, but only a few are available in the U.S.

Bicolor Fuerte

Cajanus cajan 'Bicolor Fuerte' produces more and larger pea pods than most other pigeon pea varieties and is considered the most productive and strongest of the pigeon pea plants in the U.S. It is tolerant of heat and drought but doesn't tolerate frost or saline soil.

Flavus

Cajanus cajan 'Flavus' is an early maturing variety. It is relatively short with yellow petals and green pods that lighten as they ripen. Each pod holds three seeds.

Amarillo

Cajanus cajan 'Amarillo' is a day-neutral cultivar, so it isn't sensitive to day length. Developed in Florida, 'Amarillo' can be sown and harvested year-round in Zones 10-12.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between peas and pigeon peas?

Pigeon peas are more heat-tolerant than standard shelling peas and have slightly different growing requirements. When cooked, pigeon peas have a higher starch content than standard peas but aren’t quite as sweet.

Can you eat pigeon peas raw?

Fresh pigeon peas can be eaten raw in salads or as an on-the-go garden snack. However, once pigeon peas begin to dry, they should be soaked and cooked before eating.

For more Better Homes & Gardens news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Better Homes & Gardens.