Lentils and Chickpeas?

[Thisbe]

Hi there!

I am interested in growing lentils and chickpeas but am finding it difficult to track down information on growing them in Australia. I can't really find any seeds and I was wondering how to go about starting a lentil crop. Do people just use the cooking lentils and soak them to start a crop? I would like to eventually harvest seeds each crop and save them for the following season to plant - is this a possibility with any variety of lentils?

Sorry for all the questions! I am alittle confused

[ina]

I would just be adventurous and give it a try... Both the ordinary lentils (not red split, of course!) and chickpeas sprout quite easily for me; and if they do that in rather cold Scotland, I'm sure they'd do it for you in Australia.

[possum]

Yes, just use the cooking chick peas , I haven't grown them sucessfully, but I have germinated them successfully.

[Lady Willow]

I had a tiny chickpea plant grow on my draining board ... it escaped from a bag of seeds I was sprouting and grew roots and stem like a tiny bonsai.

I'm going to have a trial of some here in France - I'm sure they'll amount to nothing, but I've got loads of land so nothing to lose.

[Clara]

You might be pleasantly surprised ladyW, a friend of mine threw a few sprouted chickpeas in the ground and they grew just fine. I reckon you need as long a growing season as you can give them though.

[Lady Willow]

I'll definately give them a try them. I'll start them off early so I can plant them out once the frosts are finished.

I think chickpeas are my favourites - so versitle. And cheap!

[eccentric_emma]

Out of interest are chickpeas called pigeon peas in Australia or are they something completely different?

[possum]

no pigeon peas are Cajanus cajan aka toor dal in indian cookery, where as chickpeas are Cicer arietinum aka channa in indian cookery

[rach1900]

I was planning to do the same with shop bought borlotti beans this year... I often sprout them - has anyone got further and actually produced a crop of lentils/chickpeas/beans? My mum was telling me that the plants may not produce any fruit....
X R

[Milims]

Out of interest are chickpeas called pigeon peas in Australia or are they something completely different?

Pigeon peas are also known as carlins or maple peas in the UK. Quite different from chick peas, they grow on very tall vines with beautiful purple flowers. They are green when fresh and taste rather like marrowfat peas - sort of "meatier " than ordinary peas. They are easily dried and make great pea and ham soup (the only thing is they go brown why dried so the soup is a funny colour!) We grown them in the North East - just below the border of Scotland - where it's not that warm!
Oh and they are traditionally served 3 weeks before Easter Sunday with a rum and butter sauce.

[Green Aura]

Pigeon peas are really weird! I both love them and hate them.

Love them cooked as rice and peas - west indian style - also called gungo peas.
Hate them as black peas - lancashire style - gross and disgusting (OH disagrees with me vehemently, being a good Rochdale lad!).