PIGEON PEA

Pigeon Pea ^9/10

Comments: - I want this plant for several reasons: as a hegde across the front of the yard to screen off the road, improve soil structure, nitrogen for young fruit trees and shade from the summer sun for my permaculture garden. I'm also keen to try a new fruit/veg. For more details see: http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/pigeon-pea.html 

Pigeon Pea (Seedling) ^7/10

Comments: - Growing for mulch and peas, hoping to get some peas soon.

Planted: 2016

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 2

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

When I Fertilise: Spring

Pigeon Pea (Seedling) ^10/10

Comments: -

Loving these trees! I started with one, but I chucked some seed about, and I've a few more in strategic places, now, and would like a few more. While they are great for a prolific food provider, and the leaves make excellent compost additions, what I really love about them, is that the Morning Glory will not grow near them!! The only thing I have ever found that keeps the Morning Glory back!

The immature fruit are okay, especially if you actually shell them, but I prefer them dried on the bush and then shelled. I spread the harvested dried peas on a baking sheet and bake them at a VERY low temp- 70-80d C, to kill of any insect eggs or bacteria. Then they store well in a glass jar until I want to use them, which I cook them like any other dried legume. 

They are prone to attack from some insect, I don't know what, but every sixth or seventh pod will have a hole in it, and the inside will either be mouldy, or have webs inside, or the peas will be shrivelled up. Honestly, though, they are so incredibly prolific that I don't bother doing anything about it. The birds come and pick over the trees every once and a while, and I'll leave it at that. Never seen any sort of disease attack them or anything. 

Only problem with them, is that when they fruit, they fruit so heavily, that the entire bush bends over!! The branches will be resting on the ground! It can look very messy and you can't have anything growing underneath that might be squished by the laden branches. And I have to time things well, as my peas will be almost dry, and then all of a sudden we are expecting rain! If they get too wet when they are drying out, some of them start to rot. Best to harvest whole branches with the pods still attached and then hang them somewhere under cover to finish drying. And then bake them, of course, to finish drying any that were not quite ready.

Other than that, I don't water them after they've had a few weeks to establish in the ground. They prefer crappy soils and no fertiliser, so they're an easy plant-and-forget food source. And, of course, the leaves really do fill out the compost well, as do the empty dried pods, and break down quickly to make lovely rich compost. Very multi purpose and useful, very fast growing, and attractive, when they aren't sprawled across the ground like swooning ladies.

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Pollination: No