Do you want to enjoy the maximum sweetness of peas? Try freshly picked ones from your garden (if you haven’t already!) They have truly exceptional taste and flavour. Of the different varieties, Sugar Snap and mangetout are the varieties that are easy to grow. However, pea varieties require support.

Sowing Peas

The ideal time to sow the peas is in early summer and spring. However, you can sow them both indoors and outdoors. 

Firstly, you need to choose the variety you want to grow. At that decisive moment, keep two things in mind;

• Round varieties are hardier than the wrinkled varieties
• Sugar Snap and mangetout grow easily

The best place to sow the seeds is open, sunny and well-drained soil. Besides, having good basic soil is also essential. Therefore, always add lime to acidic soil before you sow peas. 

Indoor sowing

You can sow the peas indoors in February or March. Sowing in this season, you’re protecting your plants from mice.  

You can sow them along the guttering length. Adding compost and ensuring a distance of 3 inches between the seeds is the best sowing practice.  

You can also sow the seeds in small pots or trays. 

Outdoor sowing

Follow the tips below while sowing the peas outdoors

• Avoid sowing in wet soil.
• Use cloches or polythene to warm the soil before sowing.
• Use fleece to cover the seedlings.
• Make 2 inches deep and 6 inches wide trench.
• Sow the seeds in trench such that there is 3 inches distance between them.
• Cover the seeds with soil and firm them in.
• Sow the second row at a distance equal to the crop height.

Growing Peas

Here’re some practices that are essential for the proper growth of peas

• Water the plants once the flowering start in them
• Water the plants two weeks after the onset of flowering 
• Apply thick mulch layer around the plants’ base to retain moisture of the soil 
• Use netting, bamboo canes and trellis to support the taller varieties
• Use pea sticks and pea netting to support the smaller varieties

Harvesting Peas

The harvesting period of the peas starts from June and ends in October, depending on your sow variety. For instance, you can harvest 

• The first earlies were sown from March to early June within the 11th -13th week 
• The second earlies on the 14th week of sowing  
• Maincrop cultivars on the 16th week of sowing 

Some tips for harvesting peas are as follows:

• Pick the pods regularly. If you don’t pick them regularly, there will be no production of pods and flowers
• Pick the Sugar Snap and Mangetout peas pods when they are around 3 inches long. 

Common problems

Pea moth

While shelling peas, you will find these caterpillars on it. Its female lays eggs on the flowering species.  

Remedy

• Sow the plants in March and June
• Use an insect-proof mesh for growing peas

 Mice

They eat the plants’ pods.

Remedy

Use a trapping technique. Humane traps are best to trap mice where they’re damaging the plants. For example, you can use dessert apple and carrot pieces for voles. On the other hand, you can trap mice using peanut butter. Always place the traps undercover to prevent the interference of other animals. 

Pigeons

Wood pigeons are very harmful to the plants in different allotments and gardens. They peck and tear the leaves while leaving the stalks only. Peas and brassicas are pants that are vulnerable to pigeons. 

Remedy

• Repellent substances and scaring devices provide temporary protection.
• Grow the pigeons in a fruit cage or under netting. 

Powdery Mildew

Leaves become stunted and shrink as white powdery deposit forms on the leaf surface.

Remedy

• Grow the plant in colder conditions
• Keep the soil moist

Take a look at some varieties that you may not have thought about growing:

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