Chickpea Care Guide: Weeding, Mulching, Trellising, and Seasonal Maintenance

ByStephen Albert

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Growing chickpeas is surprisingly low maintenance, but a few well-timed care tasks can dramatically increase pod production and keep your plants healthy through the cool season. After years of raising chickpeas in raised beds and wide-row layouts, I’ve learned that the keys to success are early weed control, light mulching, minimal trellising, and simple seasonal upkeep. This guide brings together the practical maintenance steps that consistently deliver strong plants and abundant pods.

Why Chickpea Maintenance Matters

Chickpeas thrive in lean soils and cool weather, but they are sensitive to competition, excess moisture, and crowding. Good care helps you:

  • Keep soil loose and weed-free
  • Maintain airflow and reduce disease pressure
  • Prevent lodging (plants falling over)
  • Support strong flowering and pod development

A little attention at the right time goes much further than heavy intervention later.

Weeding Chickpeas: Light but Consistent

Chickpeas dislike root disturbance, so the goal is gentle weed control.

Early Weeding (Weeks 1–4)

This is the most important window.

  • Hand-pull weeds when small.
  • Avoid deep hoeing—chickpeas form shallow feeder roots early.
  • Keep 4–6 inches of bare soil around each plant.

From experience, chickpeas grow best when they can capture sunlight without competing foliage in spring’s cool light.

Mid-Season Weeding

Once chickpeas branch and canopy over, weeds become less of a problem.

  • Remove only large or aggressive weeds.
  • Lightly cultivate the surface soil if needed, but stay shallow.

Mulching Chickpeas: When and How

Mulch can help, but timing is everything.

Early Season: Use Sparingly

Chickpeas prefer warming soil.

  • Delay mulch until plants are 6–8 inches tall.
  • Heavy mulch too early slows growth and keeps soil too wet.

Mid-Season: Add Light Mulch

Once temperatures rise:

  • Apply 1–2 inches of straw, shredded leaves, or dry grass.
  • Keep mulch light—chickpeas do better with some airflow around the soil.
  • Mulch reduces evaporation and helps prevent heat stress during flowering.

Late Season

As pods turn yellow, keep mulch dry or gently pull it back to help ripening.

Trellising Chickpeas: Do You Need It?

Most chickpea varieties grow 18–24 inches tall and generally don’t need heavy support. But wind, rain, or very fertile soil can cause lodging.

When Trellising Helps

  • In windy gardens
  • In wide beds where plants branch heavily
  • For large Kabuli varieties that get floppy

Simple Support Options

  • Low pea fences (18–24 inches tall) along rows
  • Short bamboo stakes between every few plants
  • String grids in raised beds to keep plants upright

In my garden, a low trellis has consistently improved airflow and reduced fungal issues in wet springs.

Seasonal Maintenance Checklist

A month-by-month rhythm helps keep chickpeas productive without overcare.

Early Spring (Planting to 4 Weeks)

  • Weed carefully and consistently
  • Keep soil lightly moist
  • Delay mulch
  • Thin seedlings to proper spacing (6–8 inches)

Mid to Late Spring (Branching to Flowering)

  • Add a light mulch layer
  • Reduce watering slightly to encourage flower formation
  • Install low trellising if needed
  • Check for aphids—remove by hand or spray with water

Early Summer (Pod Development)

  • Keep mulch dry to prevent fungal issues
  • Water sparingly but deeply when soil dries
  • Maintain airflow by removing weeds or suckers from nearby crops

Ripening Stage

  • Stop watering dry beans when pods yellow
  • Remove mulch if soil stays too damp
  • Harvest when pods dry on the plant

Troubleshooting Chickpea Care Issues

Plants Falling Over

Cause: Wind, heavy growth, or overly rich soil
Fix: Install a low trellis; reduce nitrogen inputs

Leaf Yellowing Early

Cause: Overwatering or waterlogged soil
Fix: Improve drainage; water deeply but less frequently

Poor Pod Set

Cause: Too much moisture during flowering
Fix: Reduce water; add light mulch to moderate soil temperature

Weedy Beds

Cause: Late weeding or wide gaps
Fix: Weed early; use light mid-season mulch

Final Thoughts

Chickpeas are naturally rugged plants, but they flourish with thoughtful care—gentle weeding early on, light mulch as temperatures rise, optional support to keep branches upright, and seasonal adjustments that match their cool-season growth cycle. With these simple maintenance steps, chickpeas become one of the easiest and most rewarding legumes to grow in a home garden.

Chickpea Learning Hub

Start Here / Overview

Planning & Planting

Care & Maintenance

Pests, Diseases & Troubleshooting

Harvesting & Post-Harvest

Cooking & Enjoying

Stephen Albert is a horticulturist, master gardener, and certified nurseryman who has taught at the University of California for more than 25 years. He holds graduate degrees from the University of California and the University of Iowa. His books include Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide, Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner, Tomato Grower’s Answer Book, and Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide. His Vegetable Garden Grower’s Masterclass is available online. Harvesttotable.com has more than 10 million visitors each year.

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