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anney_gw

Would this work with cowpeas?

anney
14 years ago

You may recall this discussion last year where momamamo told us she'd read that bush beans can be cut way back after their first production to trigger new growth and a 2nd crop, and she was so pleased at how well it worked. Some said they did this, too, while others said they were going to try it last year.

Does it work for cowpeas?

Comments (15)

  • Macmex
    14 years ago

    I believe it does. Seems I recall "Gonefishing," Bill, telling us, some years ago, that he literally mowed down a row of cowpeas (with his mower) and that they came back for a fine second wind. I, however, have never figured out why one would cut them back, as all mine just keep producing until frost.

    George
    Tahlequah, OK

  • anney
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    George

    I cannot seem to get much production out of cowpeas here in this Georgia clay, though that shouldn't affect them. I don't know if it's the weather (really cool and rainy last year) or not. Well, it probably WAS the weather, but I thought they produced a good bit and then fizzled like most "beans". I was hoping to s*ave having to uproot the old ones and plant them a second time if I want more than I usually get. If all I have to do is get good weather and just hang on, that will be great! I'm also wondering if this technique will bring the bush Romas I'm going to grow this year to a second flush. I usually grow pole Romas, but since I want to use that trellis area for tomatoes, I decided to grow bush Italians this year.

    [I sure miss Gonefishing. He personified a generous and gracious element of GardenWeb that was unique in some ways.]

  • happyday
    14 years ago

    I miss Gonefishin too. He did love to talk about his mulch, and his mower, and was generous with pictures. Never heard him say a bad word about anybody. Wish there were more like him.

    Anney, I always get great cowpeas up here in Wisconsin, so it hardly seems that Georgia could be cooler or rainier unless you grow them in winter. I get a second crop after picking without cutting back, too.

    Do you rototill at least once a year, or add mulch, manure, potash, or innoculant? Is it a good idea to add lime to Georgia clay? I have done all these things and hope that the soil gets better every year. Have also gotten better results after cutting back nearby trees that were taking water and nutrients, and using plenty of mulch to keep down competing weeds.

  • anney
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    happyday

    It was just last summer that was cold and wet. My entire garden except for lettuce and onions was basically a failure, the beans, the tomatoes, and other sta*ples we count on.

    It was pretty traumatic! I still haven't quite gotten over my distrust of nature or my new insecurity about gardening. I've always thought of it as a mutual adventure, with nature contributing far more than I do, so I'm a bit anxious this year.

    Anyway, no, we don't rototill but have raised beds with lots of composted leaves, and this year about 25 bales of spoiled hay. I was just hoping to have a fall-back plan if the cowpeas do as badly this year as last. I'm praying they won't and the weather returns to its normal patterns.

  • Belgianpup
    14 years ago

    I have never grown cowpeas. From what some of you are saying about colder weather, maybe they won't grow here in the Pacific Northwest...

    Do you use the cowpea inoculant? If you've used it and not used it, do you see a noticeable difference when you do?

    Is that 'mowing' technique supposed to work with all kinds of beans?

    Sue, in the northWET

  • happyday
    14 years ago

    Anney, if you don't have access to a rototiller, maybe try spading up the soil in one location and see if it helps. If you can get a chunk of strong, rigid wire grating, or diamond grating, and lay it over a wheelbarrow, maybe nailed into a frame for stability, you can shovel up soil and force it through the grate as if you were sifting compacted flour. When the barrow is full, tip that fluffy soil back into the hole and plant your cowpeas in it, then don't walk on it. If they love that and do well, then its up to you to consider buying or renting a rototiller. Or just keep sifting planting holes. But if you are against disturbing the soil, than forget I said it. Composting leaves are good as worms will collect to eat them and aerate the soil with their tunnels.

  • anney
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    happyday

    The point of having raised beds is so you don't ever have to rototill or turn the soil! They don't need it. They get lots of compost and are never walked on!

    We had cold wet weather last year, and that was the basic reason for my garden failure with the exception of the veggies I mentioned. They thrived almost all summer because it never really got hot for long periods of time.

    Sue

    I've never lived in the Northwest and tried to garden, so I don't know if cowpeas would grow in your area or not. Your locals would know! Wet probably doesn't disturb cowpeas as much as cool temps. Are you normally able to grow good tomatoes with those cool temps, or is the season too short for many of them?

  • fusion_power
    14 years ago

    Annie,

    I have essentially the same climate you do and had a very productive 2009 season. It was a lot wetter than normal so some veggies really prospered while the tomatoes fizzled earlier than normal.

    Rodger Winn visited during the summer and commented that my garden was doing a lot better than his over in SC. So maybe the season was more favorable here in West Alabama than it was in North Central Georgia and South Carolina.

    My cowpeas produced heavily last year with a huge crop in August and early September. They were pretty much gone by mid October. Most cowpeas are high temperature crops that produce best at 90+ degrees. The White Whipporwill peas did just fine with the wetter than normal weather. I'm in agreement with others that cowpeas do not nead to be cut off mid-season, they just keep on producing as long as they are picked regularly.

    DarJones

  • Belgianpup
    14 years ago

    Anney, the people around here don't seem to know much about growing! Cherry tomatoes grow better here than the large varieties, unless you make a point of giving them an early start.

    We rarely have temps in the 90s in summer.

    Sue

  • happyday
    14 years ago

    Anney, my raised beds get compacted by rain and snow weight after only one year. Every spring I have to break them up for planting, despite the compost added. The sifting process can be used for raised beds, too. Your soil must be different than mine and gets less compacted.

    So you only had cowpea problems last year? If you usually get good cowpeas, I'd say just pray for good weather this year.

    Is anyone else seeing that the font on the website has changed today?

  • Macmex
    14 years ago

    I spotted a couple of words which were green and underlined. Didn't get to check in Sunday.

    George

  • obrionusa
    14 years ago

    I actually did mow my green beans last year and planted another row just in case it didnt work. The row I mowed just layed there and grew very slowly. I dont recall fertilizing, but did water frequently. Blue lake variety.
    The row I planted took off, flowered and had beans in less than 60 days. Early contender variety.
    This year I will let them go to shell outs versus mowing them. Plant another crop of contender where I harvest my potatoes or onions.
    I too recall that article and couldnt get an answer to how it worked. I had a continous supply of beans all year from my pole beans. They did slow down about labor day. I let them go to dried beans about this time.

  • agrigirl
    14 years ago

    Anney,

    Here are my suggestions in regards to your initial question and concerns, for whatever it is worth. :-)

    Mowing: Cowpea does not show a significant difference with mowing versus not mowing. In fact; a report from Purdue University stated that mowing was generally used to reduce regrowth. My initial thought, personally, is that mowing is beneficial for the vining varieties as this could induce branching, but for an upright variety I do not see the benefit.

    As for your low production, my thoughts are that the area where you planted the cowpea does not contain a high quantity of Bradyrhizobium spp. In general, if you are planting a legume in a new area then an initial inoculation would be advised. However, after the initial inoculation, you should have no need to inoculate again. You can get this specific bacterial inoculate in granular, liquid or peat based. Coating your seeds with the peat based before planting is generally the method I suggest for a small home garden. If I were advising a farmer with many acres, I would say the granular or the liquid.

    In addition to the inoculation recommendation I would also suggest that, given a higher than 3% concentration of Organic Matter (your compost and such) that your cowpeas would benefit greatly from an addition of Potassium and Phosphorus. Although less phosphorus is needed (and given that phosphorus can hang around for years in a soil) I would suggest purchasing a fertilizer that is 0-5-10. Addition of Nitrogen does not improve the performance of cowpea as it fixes its own nitrogen (with the correct Bradyrhizobium that is).

    So, in short: Do not mow, add an inoculant and add some fertilizer. NOTE: I advise that you not add the fertilizer until after you have vegetative growth as cowpea seeds are sensitive to fertilizer burn.

    Hope this helps!

  • anney
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    fusion

    I've heard from a couple of other people west of here that last year wasn't bad for them either. I don't know the reason why, but I'm certainly paying attention earlier this year to see if the weather returns to normal and if disease gets the slightest foothold, which I'll treat aggressively if possible. The tomatoes fizzled MUCH earlier than usual, but I had gorgeous lettuce even into July with the cool and wet weather. And Bell peppers oddly enough. Both were container-grown on the deck, so I may have to doctor the garden soil when the soil analysis comes back.

    agrigirl

    Thank you. I'm having a soil test done this year, and who knows what it will show after several years of not being tested. I probably have a tendency to under-fertilize, believing that this clay soil is very nutritious and doesn't need much fertilization, given the compost that gets added to the beds every year.

    But it's possible there are missing nutrients since I do grow tomatoes and melons, which are relatively heavy feeders. Most of the time the peas and beans do great, just not last year.

  • agrigirl
    14 years ago

    Anney,

    Where I live is Clay Soil country too. And it is a misunderstood thought about clay making the soil nutritious. It really depends on the nutrient. Clay is an excellent adsorption site for nutrients to bind to. There are different nutrient exchange capacities with clay soil. For example: some nutrients are so tightly bound to the clay soil that it is not made readily available to the plant. So, the soil (Clay) may be nutritious but if the clay doesn't give it up, then the plant can't get it.

    If your area is heavy clay you may consider an amendment to the soil to incorporate organic matter into the soil. But, being as these are in raised beds, the cowpea can extend its tap root deep into the clay to absorb water, but the nutrients it absorbs is more in the uppper portion of its tap root area.

    A soil test is an excellent idea. Most will not tell you the bacteria content so if you are looking to know if the bacteria you need is available as well, you will most likely need to ask for an additional bacterial test. It is not a long or hard test for them to perform, but if you do not ask for it, they don't just normally do it. Your soil test will be great to determine your pH level and any nutrients that may be needed. Most soil tests are crop specific.

    Good luck and please let us know how your test results pan out!

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