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All About Peas - Urban Farmer's Guide
Home > Gardener's Guide > All About Peas
Introduction
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Peas are a great example of the difference between shop purchased vegetables and those fresh from the garden. Fresh peas win every time, on taste, texture and food value, and that includes frozen peas!
Before Planting
Peas thrive in cool, moist weather and produce best in cool, moderate climates. Early plantings normally produce larger yields than later plantings. Peas may be planted whenever the soil temperature is at least 45°F, and the soil is dry enough to till without its sticking to garden tools. The soil pH should be between 6.0 to 6.8.
Planting
Plant the seeds 1" inch deep, 3 to 4" inches apart, in rows about 2 to 3 feet apart. Install supports for peas - even dwarf varieties - when you plant them, and start guiding the vines upward as soon as they're long enough to climb.
Watering
Make sure young plants get about 1/2" inch of water a week (1" inch in very sandy soil). When plants begin to flower, they need an inch per week regardless of soil.
Fertilizer
Help ensure heavy yields by feeding liquid seaweed or compost tea twice during the growing season.
Days to Maturity
Most peppers take 55 to 70 days to mature.
Harvesting
Garden Peas - When the pea pods are full they are ready to be picked. Pick a few pods every day near harvest time to determine when the peas are at the proper stage for eating. Peas taste the best when they are fully expanded but immature, before they become hard and starchy. Peas should be picked immediately before cooking because their quality, especially sweetness (like that of sweet corn), deteriorates rapidly. The pods on the lower portion of the plant mature earliest. The last harvest (usually the third) is made about one week after the first. Pulling the entire plant for the last harvest makes picking easier.
Snow Peas - These varieties are generally harvested before the individual peas have grown to size, when the pods have reached their full length but are still quite flat. This stage is usually reached a week after flowering. Snow peas must be picked regularly (at least every other day) to assure sweet, fiber-free pods.
Snap Peas - Snap peas should be harvested every other day, similar to snow peas. Snaps are at their best when the pods first start to fatten. At this point, the pods snap like green beans and the whole pod can be eaten. Make sure to remove pods carefully and not to harm the plant. Some varieties have strings along the seams of the pod that must be removed before cooking. Sugar snaps left on the vine too long begin to develop tough fiber in the pod walls. Vining types of both sugar snap and snow peas continue to grow taller and produce peas as long as the plant stays in good health and the weather stays cool.
Storing
The storage process should begin as soon as possible after picking the peas, because their flavor and sweetness disintegrates quickly. Quickly expose the peas to a brief period of heat through steam or boiling in order to retain color, texture, taste and freshness of the peas by destroying enzymes and bacteria that are present in all vegetables. Place in a plastic bag and store in refrigerator or freezer.
Pests & Diseases
The first signs of fusarium wilt and root-rot disease are the yellowing and wilting of the lower leaves and stunting of the plants. Infection of older plants usually results in the plants producing only a few poorly filled pods. These diseases are not as prevalent on well-drained soils.
Disease Resistance Abbreviations
B - Resistance to Bean Yellow Mosaic Virus; E - Tolerance to Pea Enation Mosaic Virus; F - Fusarium Wilt; P - Resistance to Powdery Mildew; R - Pea Leaf Roll
Tips
To get peas in the ground as early as possible in the spring, plant them in raised beds. The raised bed will warm up faster than the surrounding ground.
