Permaculture Elements: CowPeas/Southern Peas

If you think that "cowpeas" consist only of California Blackeye, then you have a sweet surprise in store. I've gone a little crazy in collecting them since they did so well last summer - now have over 25 cultivars in my collection.

The cowpea is a member of the bean family.  I have found them to be one of the "set it and forget it" crops for here in the mid-South.

Family: Fabaceae  Genus: Vigna  Species: unguiculata

Sample Cultivars: Colossus, Iron & Clay, Mayo Colima, Hog Brains

Other Names: Southern Peas, crowder peas, blackeyed peas, and also lubia, niebe, coupe or frijole

Hog Brains cow peas -
I've never seen a hog's brain, so I can't tell you if there are any real similarities!

(More photos below.)

Intrinsic Characteristics

• Permaculture Zones: All, especially zones 2 and 3
• Layers: Understory, herbaceous
• Placement: gardens, main crop gardens, in the edges or during the establishment of food forests and orchards
• Size: cultivars range in size from 2-3 foot "bush peas" to vigorous climbers that will top 10 feet.
• Vegetable Type: Annual
• Seed Saving: Easy

Outputs
Note that while some outputs don't need any additional inputs and can stand on their own, many of the outputs may or could.  Where space, time, and interest intersect, I will include them.

• For the Bees - nectar and pollen
• Fresh food for - People, chickens, hogs, horses, turkey, goats, deer, and other wildlife; both leaves, young "snap beans" and peas are edible.  Young "snap beans" taste similar to Asian long beans (they are related).  Whole vines can be uprooted at the end of the season and fed directly to livestock
• Preserved for People - dried peas can be used in soups, freeze or can shelled fresh peas and/or young beans
• Preserved for animal consumption - dried peas, dried stalks and leaves
• Leaves - high nutrient and protein content when used fresh
• Soil improvement - cowpeas are both a legume (nitrogen fixing) and has a deep tap root for soil improvement. I plant them around young trees, each tree getting its own cultivar
• Seeds - Generally self-fertile, open pollinated seeds will come true to type
• Vines - vines can be used for shade or to block views

Inputs
Note: some of these inputs may not be needed for your situation, but here are some things to get you started

• Wood mulch and/or compost - I have found that this is generally not needed here in Middle Tennessee
• Support- tall, vining types need strong support.  Vines on weak supports may topple the support
• Wire fencing - or other protection, especially in zones 3, 4 and 5 where there is deer and other wildlife pressure

Other Things

• Climate - are you in the hot, humid South where it rains "all the time"? They will love you.  Hot and dry - they like that too.  Are you in a short season area?  There are some  bush varieties that mature in 60 days.
• Seed Saving - Select for plants that mature early, have lots of peas in the pod, and that look "true to type."  They are generally self-fertile and come true to type; however, separation of the cultivars may help prevent cross-pollination in a highly diverse environment where pollinator pressure is high.  Tag the pods you wish to keep for seeds and let them dry on the vine.

Flowers are born in small clusters of two or three.

Most of the ones I have grown start out with purple to lavender flowers that fade to cream or yellow by late morning.

Ants like cowpeas but don't appear to harm them.

I call this the "winged" stage - soon slender pods will emerge from the wings. The bean on the right is still a little young for stir fry, but might be tasty as a raw snack while gardening.

Just right for stir-fry!

 This set of cow peas are growing under an apple tree that was planted early in the Spring - they successfully mitigated the crabgrass, fixed nitrogen for the tree, and provided tasty eats, too!

Just about ready for fresh shelling peas.

I usually wait until the bean part starts changing color for fresh shelling peas.  In the case of "purple hulls," they will turn purple, so you'll know when to pick.

Pink Eye Purple Hulls in the foreground.

Fresh from the field - Dreaming of Summer!

Permaculutre Elements: Apple Trees

The Apple Tree: malus domestica 
The Graphics Fairy

Today's post is going to be a little different than my usual photos or updates around the little farm.  In this post and in an on-again, off-again fashion, I plan to run a series of element analysis from a practical permaculture perspective.  So here we go....

For those of you who might have read my High Desert Gardening Blog (pre-permaculture), you will know that the three little scrawny apple trees sitting out in my field are not the first apple trees that I have planted.  The reason is that they are easy to grow, I like to eat apples, and a number of livestock species also like them.

The Apple is a fruit tree and a member of the rose family. There are several thousands of cultivars, and it is commonly used as food for livestock and for people.

Family: Rosaceae    Genus: Malus        Species: Malus domestica

Sample Cultivars:  Arkansas Black, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Holstein, Pink Lady, Virginia Winesap

Intrinsic Characteristics

• Permaculture Zones: All
• Layers: Understory or overstory tree
• Placement: in orchards, gardens, food forests, wild wooded areas, and as specimens in ornamental landscaping. Also grown in containers and as espalier. 
• Size: cultivars range in size from 6 foot tall or less on dwarfing root stock, or upwards of 30 feet tall on some standard (own root) trees.
• Tree Type: Deciduous – loses leaves in the dormant season 
• Longevity - dwarf trees on root stocks may begin fruiting years earlier than own root trees, but they also pass away sooner

Outputs
Note that while some outputs don't need any additional inputs and can stand on their own, many of the outputs may or could.  Where space, time, and interest intersect, I will include them.

• For the Bees - nectar and pollen
•  Beauty - spring time flowers in shades of white from pretty dog-goned white to creamy white to pink
• Fresh food for - People, chickens, hogs, horses, goats, deer, and other wildlife
• Preserved for People - frozen (as sauce or pie filling), dried, as part of cider or rumtopf
• Leaves - composting or to leave around trees
• Scion wood - to graft onto root stock for new trees
• Seeds - to start new trees on the cheap to see what new variety you might discover
• Wood - for fires, smoking chips, building

Inputs
Note: some of these inputs may not be needed for your situation, but I'm listing a list here, so work with me.

• Wood mulch and/or compost
• Understory nitrogen fixers - peas, field or cow peas, clover 
• Stakes - for staking young trees
• Tree Wrap - for protecting young trees from sun scald or rabbits or to help keep trees dormant as long as possible during early springs
• Wire fencing - or other protection, especially in zones 3, 4 and 5 where there is deer and rabbit pressure
• Compost tea - to inoculate wood mulch and to spray on leaves to protect against various mildews and fungus, and as a type of foliar feed
• Pruning equipment - pruners, loppers, knives, saws, something to sterilize them between cuttings
• Harvesting equipment - long handled picker for taller trees, ladder, basket, cart or wheel barrow
• Other apple tree(s) - for pollination.  If others are growing apples near by, or if you have crab apples, this might not be an issue; however, you still may wish to plant a known pollinator just to be sure.  To find out what apples pollinate each other, check out this Online Pollination Checker.  They check other fruit pollinators, also.

Other Things to Think About

• Climate - are you in the hot, humid South where it rains "all the time"? Then you will need cultivars that are fungal disease resistant.  Are you in a "warm winter" area? Then low chill apples may be what you need
• Tree Size - do you have acreage where you will keep your trees 20 feet apart or more? Or will you be growing two trees to a hole in a densely planted suburban yard?  Or will you be somewhere in between?  What kind of trees do well like that?
• Dwarf and semi-dwarf trees -  you may wish to succession plan for trees that may only be at their peak for 15 - 20 years - planting a new set every few years ensures continuous production