Although tomatoes are my favorite summer crop to grow, peas are quickly emerging as my favorite fall crop. This is our first year growing them, and we didn’t realize what we were missing! Peas are a fabulous beginner vegetable to grow because they really are easy PEAS-y and require little maintenance. Today, I’ll show you everything you need to have a successful pea harvest.
Green peas are some of the oldest cultivated vegetables in the world, dating back as early as the Bronze Age. Colonists in Jamestown ate peas in the early 1600s. It’s plain to see that everyone around the world loves peas. So, every time you eat a pea, you’re eating a little bit of history! Pretty neat, huh?
There are three types of peas:
- English Peas aka Shelling Peas – these peas have inedible shells; only the internal fruit is edible
- Snow Peas – also known as Chinese pea pods, these peas have flat, edible pods commonly found in stir fry dishes
- Sugar Snap Peas – these are a cross between shelling peas and snow peas, where both the fruit and the pod are edible
Planting
I recommend directly sowing peas outside because pea plants have a very delicate and fragile root system and will not tolerate transplant well. In general, peas should be sown a month before the last frost. Peas will tolerate any soil, except for impermeable clay, however, our peas are thriving in our garden’s East Tennessee clay soil, so I’ll take that advice with a grain of salt. Basically, if you have soil, you’re set. If you can, work in some compost before planting. Peas prefer a soil pH of 6.0-7.5.
Peas are nitrogen “fixers,” meaning that they have a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobia bacteria that colonize the roots of the plants and help them “fix” nitrogen in the soil. To help boost the yields of your pea plants, consider using a legume inoculant prior to planting.
When sowing peas, be sure to sow them thickly and close together. Peas will crawl and spread. You will want a thick bed to keep weeds out. Pea stems and tendrils are delicate; the stems are almost hollow. The last thing you want in your pea bed is an opportunity for weeds to take over and choke out these delicate structures. Once germinated, do not thin your peas.
Photo: Abby Pevey
Growing
Avoid the temptation to overfertilize your peas. Peas are very light feeders and don’t require fertilizer.
The one thing peas really need is water. Keep the soil consistently moist by watering deeply once a week. Because of their shallow root systems, peas need moist soil, especially once they start blossoming and producing pods. However, do not overwater and flood out the pea bed, as this can lead to rot. To help boost moisture, consider mulching the bed after planting.
Once peas get going, they’re fairly low maintenance, especially in the fall garden. Do not plant peas or other legumes in the same bed more than once in every three years, or your next crop of peas may become infected with root rot. Keep an eye out for aphids. If you catch aphids on your pea plants, a simply spray of cold water from the garden hose will knock them off.
Photo: Abby Pevey
Harvesting
How can you tell when it’s time to harvest your peas?
For sugar peas, refer to the seed package to determine the pod’s appropriate length and then pick accordingly. You can also take a hands-on approach to determine when your peas are ready. Snap and snow peas are at their peak when the pods still have some give around the peas when you squeeze the pods. Shelling peas are ready when the pod is round, shiny and bright green in color. If the pod is dull green, it’s too late.
Photo: Abby Pevey
When picking peas, take a delicate approach. Pea stems snap off and break easily, and rough handling can easily uproot an entire plant. Use two hands, one to hold onto the pea pod, and the other to securely hold onto the vine. If you prefer, use a scissors to snip off the pods. Picking frequently will increase your total yield, so harvest often.
Did you know that the sugar in peas is converted into starches within hours of harvesting? You simply can’t beat the sweetness of a pea straight off the plant! For this reason, it’s recommended that you plan to either enjoy them or preserve them quickly after harvesting.
Because pea plant stems are so delicate, precision is key while harvesting your pea pods. Here is a link to some awesome microtip garden scissors from GreenThumbPro:
Thanks for joining us as we explore the wonderful world of peas! Happy gardening.
