Black Sicilian Chickpea

Black Sicilian seeds produce a black chickpea seed lot. Plants have a compact bush habit. Plants typically reach 13–18 in. Seeds generally emerge in 7–14 Days at 50–65 °F. The first representative harvest is generally reached in 80-89 Days from direct sowing.

About Black Sicilian

Black Sicilian is sold as a chickpea selection. The principal color is black, and the harvest form is Short pods, usually containing one or two chickpeas. Earthy, nutty, and firm-creamy after thorough cooking. Best uses include cooked chickpeas, hummus, soups, stews, dry storage, and seed saving. Other seed records may list it as Garbanzo.

• Scientific name:Cicer arietinum L.
• Life cycle:Annual
• Planting season:Spring
• Growth habit:Bush
• Plant height:13–18 in
• Sunlight:Full sun
• Seed depth:1.5 in
• Germination:7–14 Days at 50–65 °F
• Spacing:6 in between plants; 24 in between rows
• Soil:Sandy loam; pH 6.5–7.0
• Water:Drought tolerant
• Support:No-Support
• Reproductive type:Open-Pollinated (OP)
• Harvest form:Short pods, usually containing one or two chickpeas
• Maturity:80-89 Days

History and seedkeeping context

Black Sicilian is sold as a black chickpea or black ceci line. A seed-trade account from Adaptive Seeds describes a black ceci brought from Italy by Lane Selman, but the current packet has not yet been connected to that exact custody chain. The seed is therefore described by the Black Sicilian name, black seed color, chickpea identity, and bush habit while avoiding a guaranteed Sicilian pedigree for an unconfirmed lot. Future Black Sicilian grow-outs should keep the original supplier, packet wording, lot, year, location, isolation notes, representative plant count, and observed harvest traits together. That record can clarify the maintained line without making the name or family account stronger than the seed and documentation support.

Why this variety is distinct

Black chickpeas are grown for dry seed and usually retain a firmer texture and darker cooking color than cream kabuli types. Harvest only after pods dry, then cook thoroughly for salads, soups, stews, or hummus-style preparations. Preserve the exact supplier and seed appearance when saving so this lot can be compared with documented black ceci lines.

Harvest and kitchen or field use

Allow pods and seed to dry fully before shelling, and harvest before repeated rain or shattering damages the lot. The crop is described as Short pods, usually containing one or two chickpeas. Cooked chickpeas, hummus, soups, stews, dry storage, and seed saving. Earthy, nutty, and firm-creamy after thorough cooking. Cook mature dry seed thoroughly before eating.

How to grow Black Sicilian

Direct sow 1.5 in deep during the spring planting window. Keep the seed zone near 50–65 °F and evenly moist until emergence, normally 7–14 Days. Grow in full sun with sandy loam soil near pH 6.5–7.0. Space plants 6 in apart and rows 24 in apart. Once established, the crop is relatively drought tolerant, but even moisture during flowering and pod fill improves yield and seed quality. No trellis or staking is normally required, although low edging can keep heavily loaded plants off the soil. Plants typically reach 13–18 in.

Season care

• Direct sow Black Sicilian during the spring planting window while soil is workable and before sustained heat.
• Keep the seedbed evenly moist during emergence, but do not leave large legume seed in saturated soil.
• No trellis or staking is normally required, although low edging can keep heavily loaded plants off the soil.
• Allow pods and seed to dry fully before shelling, and harvest before repeated rain or shattering damages the lot. The crop is described as Short pods, usually containing one or two chickpeas.
• Use 80-89 Days as the planning range, while allowing for shifts caused by weather, soil temperature, and plant stress.

Maturity and harvest timing

80-89 Days from direct sowing to the first dry-seed harvest under suitable conditions. Allow pods and seed to dry fully before shelling, and harvest before repeated rain or shattering damages the lot. The crop is described as Short pods, usually containing one or two chickpeas.

Saving seed

The crop is largely self-pollinating, but occasional insect-carried crossing can occur among compatible varieties. Save from several healthy, true-to-type Black Sicilian plants rather than one exceptional individual. Mark seed plants before the eating harvest, remove clear off-types before they contribute pollen, and let seed reach full biological maturity. Shell only fully dry pods, discard moldy or insect-damaged seed, and dry the cleaned seed again before storage. Label the lot with crop, variety, source, year, location, plant count, isolation method, and selection traits. Keep the original packet and lot history with the saved seed so later grow-outs can be compared without relying only on memory or seed color.

Common problems

Watch Black Sicilian for aphids, leaf spots, root rots, and pod-feeding insects. Cool wet soil can favor disease, while prolonged heat can reduce flowering and pod set. Use clean seed, rotate crops, avoid overhead irrigation late in the day, and give the canopy enough room for air movement. Remove badly diseased residue instead of saving seed from affected plants.

Frequently asked questions