My granddad always planted his garden peas between the middle and end of March. That means that right now is a perfect time. The first thing you need to do is decide which kind of pea you want to plant.<\/p>\n
Do you want to plant English or \u201cshelling\u201d peas? These are the traditional green pea\u2014sweet and tender little peas that need to be shelled because the pods are tough and stringy.<\/p>\n
Maybe you want snow peas? Snow peas are picked when the pods haven\u2019t filled out yet because when the tiny peas inside begin to fatten up, the pods get stringier.<\/p>\n
Or maybe you want snap peas\u2014crispy crunchy sweet pods that can be eaten at any stage.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind that all peas are viners so support may be necessary. There are a few dwarf snap pea varieties (Cascadia, Sugar Ann etc.) that are only a couple of feet tall so will sort of \u201chold on\u201d to each other and don\u2019t need a trellis. Most other varieties will. I have used many things to trellis peas on\u2014even a tomato cage! If I\u2019m feeling particularly organized, I\u2019ll put up a couple of poles and string twine back and forth between them.<\/p>\n
All parts of a pea plant are edible so remember it\u2019s not just the tasty peas and\/or pods, you can also eat the flowers as well as the tender newest leaves and shoots (quick hint:\u00a0 Saut\u00e9 a clove of garlic in olive oil until just tender, toss in young\u00a0 pea leaves and shoots and cook until leaves just wilt. Add salt and\/or pepper to taste.)<\/p>\n
Choose a spot that gets at least six hours or more of direct sun. Loosen the soil. Soak the seeds for 12 to 24 hours in water. This isn\u2019t necessary but can speed up germination by a few days. Plant the seeds 1\u201d deep and 2\u201d apart in rows at least 12 to 24\u201d apart.<\/p>\n
You should consider using a pea\/bean inoculant\u2014a strain of Rhizobium bacteria that can increase your yields. We carry it here in little packets with our pea and bean seeds. The inoculant helps legumes (like peas and beans ) more efficiently utilize the nitrogen in the air around them.<\/p>\n
The biggest insect problem I\u2019ve ever had with pea plants is aphids attacking the newest tender growth. I simply set my hose nozzle to mist and wash them off.<\/p>\n
Peas can sometimes have a problem with powdery mildew. The best way to address this is not to get the foliage wet when you water. Also, when planting peas, space your rows a minimum of 2 feet apart for the best air circulation. We can\u2019t control what Mother Nature does. However, we can try not to compound the problem.<\/p>\n
By the way, to minimize the problem next year, be sure to keep weeds and debris out of your garden because the spores can over-winter on it.<\/p>\n
Peas are easy to grow and delicious to eat\u2014did you know that the sugar in peas begins to convert to starch as soon as they\u2019re picked so fresh is always better. What could be fresher than your own backyard?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"