Can you plant Store-Bought Black-Eyed Peas? (Full Guide)

Can you plant Store-Bought Black-Eyed Peas? The black-eyed peas that you got from the market can be grown. The reason behind this is that they are not sprayed by any inhibitors. This is for the black-eyed peas that you buy in bulk or in big sacks. Here is how you can make the black-eyed peas sprout. There is evidence that the stored beans well soaked in a wet paper towel will be able to sprout.

Quick takeaways:

• The fact is that the plants from black-eyed peas will emerge but they rarely will produce fruits or beans. Because these grocery store black-eyed peas are overly heated and dried they can be stored for a long time and consumed later.
• The beans are eaten boiled so hardly anyone gets the value whether the peas are matured or not.

Botanical Name	Vigna unguiculata
Common Name	Black-eyed pea, cowpea, southern pea, field pea
Plant Type	Annual vegetable
Mature Size	2 to 6 feet (both bush and vine types are available)
Sun Exposure	Full sun
Soil Type	Sandy
Soil pH	Acidic to neutral (5.8 to 7.0)
Bloom Time	Summer
Flower Color	Yellow, pink, purple, white; not showy
Hardiness Zones	Annual plants, grown in all zones
Native Area	West Africa

What to do if your store-bought black-eyed peas are not growing?

The black-eyed peas that you buy from stores are made for consumption and less for growing purposes. Black-eyed peas are almost available in every country and are one of the staple foods, especially in southern cuisine. The unhealthy and immature black eyes peas have the least chance to grow.

If you want to grow the grocery store black-eyed peas make sure that the peas are well ripe and mature, not expired, and are the healthy c varieties.

Will black-eyed peas from the grocery stores grow?- Can you plant Store-Bought Black-Eyed Peas?

The black-eyed peas from the grocery can be grown but some conditions will decide whether they will grow or not. The first thing is that black-eyed peas should be old and mature and the second thing is how they are processed and stored in the grocery store.

You already have a clue that seeds have a shelf life and also they get less viable with time.

The black-eyed peas if gotten mature and you didn’t plant them when they are viable then after this, they will not grow. So you must buy them at the right time and with the keen observation that they can grow.

How long do the black-eyed peas stay viable?

The black-eyed peas tend to grow and stay viable for 3-4 years after which they will not grow or sprout. The other condition can be that plants will still sprout but there will be no produce. They are mature. The high temperatures also make the seeds sterile which loses the ability to sprout.

What to expect when you plant black-eyed peas

Black-eyed peas are widely used and available in many places. They are easy to grow and are versatile plants. Black-eyed peas need time to grow so you have to wait and keep caring for them well. The black-eyed peas plants mature within 3-4 months.

To know more about the plant world, you may also read related articles, Can I plant Garlic from the grocery store? (Everything you need to know)

How to successfully grow black-eyed peas bought from the grocery store?

Make the peas sprout first

This is a great way to plant black-eyed peas with full surety. By this, I mean when you place the black-eyed peas on a wet paper towel, let the peas sprout. They need a good warm spot to sprout and need about a week or two for this. You can check the seed often as well and the seedlings will also indicate whether the seed is healthy and mature or not.

Soak the seeds well

Many gardeners have tried soaking the black-eyed peas in the water before they take them to the ground to sow. You can soak the seeds for the whole night. You then show about two to four seeds in a hole about 1-2 inches deep in the soil.

How to grow black-eyed peas?

• Soil: well-drained and moist
• Soil type: loamy to sandy type
• Soil pH: 5.5-6.5
• Sunlight: full sun, black-eyed peas hate frosting weather
• Fertilization: very light or no fertilization
• Watering: Water the seedling or plant near the soil, and keep the leaves of the plant dry and clean

The black-eyed peas plants can be grown easily from the seeds that you can get in the nursery. To keep the conditions proper for the plants you also need to provide clean surroundings to the plant. The black-eyed peas plants are more prone to getting fungal infections.

You can also choose a good variety of black-eyed peas that will suit the spot of your garden or house. There are trailing types whereas there are varieties that grow straight up. For the vining varieties, you can use some kind of support like a trellis or stakes to help them grow well.

Growing black-eyed peas in Containers

Black-eyed peas can be grown in containers. The soil that you used must be well. The container that is 12 inches deep is ideal for growing black-eyed peas. For the bush type, you can use a stick for the support and place it into the soil not too deep so that roots don’t get hurt. Move the pot in the afternoon and provide the plant with full sun the other hours of the day. 

Maximizing Success with Store-Bought Black-Eyed Peas

Test Germination Before Planting:

 If you are planning to grow black-eyed Peas in the garden then I will suggest you test them before planting them. Testing before you start digging the plot isn’t an easy way to check whether they can germinate or not. you need to use a paper towel and moisturize the paper towel then put the seed inside it then put it in a plastic bag or container so that the moisture is maintained. you need to keep the seed in a warm location. keep checking the seed after every few days. it will take only four to 15 days to germinate but small sprouts it will start growing after 3 days only.  hence if you see the seeds are sprouting then you can start your planting. You can also use the tested seeds but you need to be very careful so that the root does not get damaged.

Soak Seeds and Overplant:

I would suggest you soak the bean and peas seeds before you are going to sow them outdoors.

The perfect time for soaking the seed is to keep it overnight for 8 to 16 hours. after that, you can sow one to three seats for about 1 inch deep and maintain a distance of 5 in between each seed. 

In case your germination test fails and the seeds do not sprout then you need to plant two to four seeds per planting hole. for planting the Black Eyed Peas you need to maintain the soil temperature of at least 70° Fahrenheit and make sure there is no risk of Frost. Then you complete the sowing of the seed you need to cover the soil with a clear plastic anchored with bricks and stones until the Sprouts emerge from the seeds after the sprouts grow from the seeds you can remove the plastic cover. covering the seeds will help raise the ground temperature and speed up the germination process.

Growing Tips:

The following are a few tips for store-bought black Peas:

•  Make sure to plant the seeds in a full-sun location. 
• you need to protect the seeds from high winds. 
• the soil condition should be well draining as the seeds are not able to tolerate the condition. 
• when the plant starts vining up you need to provide support to the plant by using Stakes or trellis

Black-Eyed Peas Varieties:

The following are some varieties of Black Eyed Peas:

• ‘Big Boy’:

These are the piece varieties that come in prolific Bush form.

• ‘California Blackeye’: 

  here you will find several different strains that are being differentiated by numbers. So before showing the seed you need to check with the extension office which one is best to be grown in your area.

• ‘Queen Anne’: 

These are the Black Eyed Peas variety which is a compact plant but is  bred as a vine

Conclusion of the context

We hope you like this article and find it helpful to get the answers to questions about planting store-bought black-eyed peas. In this article, you get to know that black-eyed peas from stores can be grown. They will germinate after they are shown but whether they will reduce or not will depend on the conditions that we indicated above. Go through them and grow the black-eyed peas. Happy growing up!