Austrian Winter Pea, Legumes

Austrian Winter Pea Winter & Field Peas Seed

Austrian Winter peas build nitrogen while covering cool-season soil
Vining annual growth supplies forage, grazing, and wildlife value
Field peas perform best when drilled into suitable moisture
Pair with grasses for balanced cover-crop mixtures

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Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Pisum sativum

Days to maturity

50 Days

Sun

Full Sun

About Austrian Winter Pea, Winter & Field Peas Seed, Winter & Field Peas Seed

The Austrian Winter Pea, sometimes called black pea or field pea, is a great cool season legume for cover crops, wildlife and winter grazing! This cool-season, annual legume has good, nitrogen-fixing capabilities. The Austrian Winter Pea is a low-growing, viny legume which has been shown to fix over 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre per year. It has hollow, slender and succulent stems, 2 to 4 feet long. The foliage is pale green, and the flowers are colored, usually purple, pink or reddish.

Growing details

Planting

Sow Depth

Days to Germination

7–10 days

Row Spacing

Broadcast or Drill

Plant profile

Life Cycle

Annual

Plant Height

48 inches

Growth Habits

Climbing, Vining

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

138

Seed Type

Open Pollinated

Before Planting

Winter & Field Peas benefits from an open, sunny site with a firm, well-drained seedbed. Test the soil, correct pH and phosphorus or potassium deficiencies before planting, and control established weeds without overworking the surface. Inoculate winter & field peas seed with the correct fresh rhizobium strain when the crop or compatible legumes have not recently grown there.

Planting

Plant winter & field peas seed outdoors during its recommended seasonal window, when enough growing time remains for establishment. Broadcast or drill seed evenly, then roll or press the area to ensure firm seed-to-soil contact. Keep the surface moist until seedlings establish if rainfall is insufficient. These crops normally form a stand and are not thinned; use the separate seeding-rate guidance to control density.

Watering

Maintain moisture until winter and field peas form a uniform stand. Established plantings usually need supplemental water only during extended dry periods; apply deeply and infrequently rather than keeping the surface constantly wet.

Fertilizer

Avoid routine nitrogen fertilizer on winter & field peas; healthy nodules normally supply the crop’s needs. Correct phosphorus, potassium, or pH deficiencies only as indicated by a soil test.

Harvesting

Harvest winter and field peas according to their intended use. Cut while vegetative for quality forage, terminate near early bloom for biomass and nitrogen, or allow pods to dry only when collecting seed.

Tips

Allow winter and field peas to form a low, sprawling cover. Terminate before mature seed develops when used as a cover crop, and avoid traffic on wet stands.

AVG. Seeding Rate

5 lb./1,000 sq.ft., 200 lb./acre when planted alone. 3 lb./1,000 sq.ft., 120 lb./acre in a mix.

Pests & Diseases

Aphanomyces and Fusarium root rots, Ascochyta blight, powdery mildew, and viruses affect winter and field peas. Use clean seed, select resistant varieties, and rotate legumes for several years. Avoid wet soils and saving seed from spotted pods, wilted vines, or mosaic plants.

Watch winter & field peas for aphids, weevils, beetles, cutworms, and mites. Remove egg clusters and badly infested foliage, protect seedlings with collars, and avoid unnecessary broad-spectrum insecticides.