About Peas
One of the most popular garden vegetables to grow, peas are a delight for the senses! Easy and fast growing, we feel all the garden feels as we watch the young plants vine up trellises in their shade of oh-so-spring green. Sweet and crunchy, hardly a pod can make it indoors as they make the perfect snack to munch on while working in the garden. A natural fixer of nitrogen, growing peas gives back to the soil, preparing the soil for a future nitrogen feeder like summer corn. It is easy to see why this early-season crop is so popular!
When to Plant Pea Seeds
Plant your pea seeds outside in early spring as soon as the ground has thawed and the soil is workable. Peas grow well in temperatures that range between 55°F and 60°F
Where to Plant Pea Seeds
Choose an open, weed-free site in full sun, receiving at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. Peas are vining plants, and will need to be provided a fence or trellis on which to grow. Try to dig plenty of well-rotted compost into the soil several weeks before sowing to improve soil fertility and help retain moisture. Grow your peas in moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Peas prefer cool, damp weather but avoid working in overly wet soil as this will compact and your peas may rot.
How to Plant Pea Seeds
Plant your pea seeds about one inch deep in full sun at the base of your trellis or fence. Allow six inches between each pea seed. Keep an eye on your seeds for a few days—if they wash out of the soil, poke them back in with a pen, twig, etc.
How to Harvest Peas
Snap peas are ready to harvest when the pods are tender but before the seeds begin to swell too much and show their form. If you leave them on too long, the peas become fibrous and bitter.
Snow peas are harvested when the pods are thin and tender and only traces of the peas inside can be seen.
Shelling peas should be picked when the seeds are round and plump inside the pods.
If you want dry peas, harvest them when the pods are dry and the seeds inside are hard.
Regardless of the variety, grab the vine with one hand and pick the peas off with the other hand to avoid damaging the vines. The more peas you pick, the more peas the plant will produce!
