Fast Lady Northern Southern Cow Pea Seeds
Fast Lady Northern Southern Cow Pea Seeds - Vigna unguiculata
- Annual
Full Sun
- Germination Tested October 22, 2025: 92%
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Heat and drought tolerant bean that's an excellent alternative to common beans. A staple in the Southern US, cowpeas are a versatile bean crop. Leaves, small green pods, and dry beans can all be eaten. This variety is adapted to northern regions. Flavour is similar to other beans. Short vines don’t require trellising. Beans form atop vertical poles — easy harvesting! Open Source
Seed Initiative (OSSI) pledged variety.
Seeds are grown by our friends Skye and Maple at Tardigrade Seeds on Salt Spring Island, BC.
Tardigrade Seeds: Solutions for Dry Conditions.
Climate change makes farming and gardening a struggle. Tardigrade Seeds specializes in heat and drought-adapted varieties of favorite vegetables and unique international crops. We offer artisanal, natural seeds for changing times. Grown with hope on our Salt Spring Island farm. Start using less water and having more success - Grow Tardigrade Seeds!
Growing: Direct seed (recommended) or transplant (if weather conditions require).
Direct seeding: 1" deep in rows, spaced 2-4" apart and rows 18" apart once soil has warmed up — early summer is ideal.
Transplant: Sow 1" deep with bottom heat, such as a heat mat. Transplant as young as possible to avoid damaging roots. Harden off before transplanting.
Growing tips: Cowpeas require warm temperatures for proper germination and growth. Choose a warm, full-sun location with well-drained soil. Cowpeas do not require high fertility to be productive.
Dry growing (growing without watering or minimal watering): Cowpeas are more drought tolerant than common green beans. If irrigation water is a constraint for you, they are a good crop choice. When growing with no or reduced irrigation, increase the amount of space between plants to 6". Use
light application of mulch to reduce evaporation, and keep plants weeded. If you have some irrigation water available, but not enough to water the whole season, time your watering strategically. The best stage of growth to water that will have the best yield improvement is during flowering and early pod
set. Conserve your limited water until then.
Growing Instructions
Growing Instructions
Growing: DIrect seed (recommended) or transplant (if weather conditions
require).
Direct seeding: 1" deep in rows, spaced 2-4" apart and rows 18" apart once
soil has warmed up — early summer is ideal.
Transplant: Sow 1" deep with bottom heat, such as a heat mat. Transplant as
young as possible to avoid damaging roots. Harden off before transplanting.
Growing tips: Cowpeas require warm temperatures for proper germination
and growth. Choose a warm, full-sun location with well-drained soil.
Cowpeas do not require high fertility to be productive.
Dry growing (growing without watering or minimal watering): Cowpeas are
more drought tolerant than common green beans. If irrigation water is a
constraint for you, they are a good crop choice. When growing with no or
reduced irrigation, increase the amount of space between plants to 6". Use
light application of mulch to reduce evaporation, and keep plants weeded. If
you have some irrigation water available, but not enough to water the whole
season, time your watering strategically. The best stage of growth to water
that will have the best yield improvement is during flowering and early pod
set. Conserve your limited water until then.
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
By placing an order, customers agree to the shipping & refund policies detailed on this page.
Most orders are sent via Canada Post to keep costs low.
Shipping within Canada
We ship seeds via Canada Post within Canada for $6 to $8 depending on weight.
We ship seeds in Canada via regular letter mail, which is an untracked service, and usually takes 1-3 weeks to arrive once we fulfill your order, but occasionally orders take longer, especially to the Eastern provinces and rural areas.
Customers can now opt for tracked, express shipping options at checkout if you require faster delivery.
Larger bulbs and plants are usually sent via tracked flat rate box.
Shipping to the US
We require all US shoppers to obtain a Small Seed Lot Import Permit before we can mail your seeds. It's free to apply, and you will likely be granted the permit instantly, although some require additional verification via mail.
We recommend obtaining a permit BEFORE placing your order.
Please email your permit and shipping label PDFs to us promptly before or after you order.
If you do not email us your permit documents after one week, we will refund your order minus a $10 processing charge.
How to apply for your Small Seed Lot Import Permit:
- Please follow these instructions carefully so you don't end up with the wrong type of permit!
- Go to https://efile.aphis.usda.gov/s/
- Select PPQ-587 in the dropdown menu and click "Get Started".
- Please use the exact same name and address as on your order.
- Login and follow the instructions to obtain a permit.
-
Under the Commodity Type drop down, make sure you select the "Small Lots of Seed". See screenshot below.
- It's best to list "Eligible Taxa" instead of listing all the species you'd like to import so you don't need to worry about missing any species you ordered.
- Once you receive your permit, promptly email us 2 PDFs: a copy of your permit and a copy of the yellow/green shipping labels. Tell us which USDA station you want us to send the seeds to. If not mentioned we will choose one close to you. Our email is grow@cicadaseeds.ca
- Once we've accepted your documents, please contact the plant inspection station we are shipping to and let them know to expect your shipment. Station phone numbers can be found here (select "United States" then "Plant Inspection Stations" in the top 2 fields, then click "Search"). This reminds stations to check for your package, otherwise they may forget about it.
Need help? Contact the APHIS plant permit team at:
EMAIL: plantproducts.permits@usda.gov
PHONE: 877-770-5990
What happens next?
After receiving your documentation, we will mail your seeds to an inspection facility in the US. We will ship via tracked parcel, and you will receive the tracking number when your order has shipped. Orders will be mailed first to a plant inspection facility in the US, then they forward the package on to your address after inspection. Tracking is only available to the inspection facility, not to your address.
The mail and inspection process can take several weeks, depending on how long the inspection takes. Unfortunately we are not able to replace packages that are confiscated or destroyed by customs, or for any additional duties or tariffs placed on your order.
Shipping Internationally
International customers can select tracked or untracked shipping at checkout. The package will list the contents as "Garden Seeds". It is your responsibility to ensure you have the required import permit. We are not able to send any live plant materials internationally. Cicada Seeds will not be responsible for any orders held or confiscated by customs, or for any additional duties or tariffs placed on your order.
International shipping countries include: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom.
This list may change without notice. Sometimes Canada Post will not allow us to ship to certain countries due to wars or natural disasters, see this page for delivery service alerts.
Please reach out if your country is not on this list, email us and we will try to arrange an alternate shipping option.
Refund Policy
Refunds: We stand behind our seeds, so if for some reason you are not satisfied with your purchase, please reach out to us via email and we will do our best to make it right. Please note that shipping costs are non-refundable.
Cancelled orders: If you wish to cancel an order after purchasing, we may refund your order minus card processing and admin fees at our discretion.
Refused orders: We cannot issue a refund if you refuse to accept an order we've sent to you.
Incorrect addresses: Please double check your mailing address, and let us know ASAP if you've entered an incorrect address at checkout. We may need to charge for additional shipping fees to resend orders.
Ecologically Grown
Ecologically Grown
Seeds are grown ecologically without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
