What to Do When Cowpeas Won't Flower? Cause Analysis and Solutions

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is a vegetable that many people enjoy, and in rural areas basically every household grows it. Under suitable conditions, it generally takes only about 45-60 days from sowing to flowering, but if it still hasn't flowered beyond this period, then it may be time to look for the cause. So what causes cowpeas not to flower? Let's find out together.

1. Fertilizer and Water

Cowpeas have high yields and a relatively large demand for fertilizer and water. Insufficient fertilizer and water in our country may cause them not to flower, but too much fertilizer and water during the flowering period will cause excessive vegetative growth of branches and leaves, resulting in insufficient nutrients needed for flowering and preventing flowering. Therefore, in fertilizer and water management for cowpeas, attention should be paid to combining control and promotion, appropriately adjusting fertilizer and water so that the vegetative growth and reproductive growth of cowpeas are balanced, achieving the goal of neither excessive growth nor delayed flowering. Generally, fertilizer and water should be appropriately controlled at the seedling stage, with base fertilizer mainly consisting of organic fertilizer, and during the flowering period, irrigation should be increased along with more organic fertilizer.

2. Temperature

Cowpeas are heat-tolerant but not frost-tolerant. The suitable temperature during the flowering and pod-setting period is 25-28 degrees. When the temperature is higher than 35 degrees, cowpeas will show premature aging, causing more flower and pod drop, while below 10 degrees, flower bud differentiation is delayed. Therefore, attention should be paid to temperature regulation, and it is best to ensure timely adjustments. When cultivating in a greenhouse, attention should be paid to temperature regulation: open the greenhouse film during high temperatures for ventilation and heat exchange to lower the temperature, and add straw curtains during low temperatures to increase warmth and promote normal growth.

3. Light

Cowpeas have two responses to light duration: one type has no strict requirements for sunlight, while the other is more strict and is suitable for cultivation in short-day environments. If you plant this short-day cowpea variety and the light duration in the growing environment is also relatively long, stem vines will often grow excessively, and flowering and pod-setting will be delayed and reduced. For this phenomenon, appropriate shading is needed to help them flower and set pods earlier.

4. The Plant's Own Reasons

After cowpeas enter the high-temperature season, after the first peak period, a summer dormancy phenomenon often occurs, and at this time the plant will show a significant reduction in flowering and pod-setting. If it is due to summer dormancy, then fertilizer and water management must be strengthened, and the plant will produce a large number of lateral vines from the leaf axils of the middle and lower parts, and send out flower clusters, flowering and setting pods abundantly, restoring vitality and producing a second yield peak.

The above is an introduction to the causes of cowpeas not flowering and the solutions, hoping it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.