How to Grow Peas

The pea is a legume which belongs to Fabaceae family. Botanical name of the pea plant is Pisum sativum. The development of peas (seeds) takes place from ovaries of flowers and they remain enclosed in pods. The field pea is basically a cool season crop which completes its life cycle in a single year.

Cultivation of Peas

Growing pea plants is not very difficult in comparison to most other vegetables. As stated earlier, cool climatic conditions are preferred by the peas for healthy growth. Let us understand how to grow peas from seeds, through following paragraphs.

Soil and Fertilizer: The soil used for pea cultivation has to be tilled properly. Being a leguminous plant, pea is capable of nitrogen fixation. A pH of 6.0-6.8 is considered ideal for the growth of these plants. Addition of nitrogenous fertilizers is therefore, not required. However, a healthy amount of organic material should be added to the soil.

Sowing: The sowing of peas is generally done in the period between mid-June and mid-September. There are three types of pea crops classified on the basis of duration of life cycle. These types are as follows: first early (12 weeks), second early (14 weeks) and main crop (15 weeks). One should therefore, understand how long does it take to grow peas. The temperature of soil at the time of sowing need to be 45°F. The soil should be well-drained and also moist in order to allow the growth of this plant without much difficulty. Distance between two rows of pea plants (for sowing) should be maintained at 18-24 inches.

Care and Maintenance
The germinating seeds of pea plants need proper care in their early days of growth. Hoeing should be carried out at a shallow depth to prevent any kind of damage to the tender seeds and seedlings. Harvesting should be done at a time when peas are soft and not starchy. Picking the peas immediately before cooking is advisable. This practice is important from the point of retaining the sweetness of peas.

The diseases like root rot and fusarium wilt can be prevented by keeping the soil aerated and well-drained. The varieties like Sparkle, Daybreak, Dwarf Grey Sugar, Little Marvel, Snowbird, etc., should also prove to be useful from the point of preventing these problems.

Grow Peas in a Pot

Pea varieties that mature quickly are used for growing in pots. The containers chosen for gardening should at least be 6 inches deep. It is advisable to use plastic pots, since it gets the work done even at a cost that is less. Soil used for container gardening should be a mixture of potting mix, garden dirt, etc; thorough mixing of the different media need to be carried out. Sowing is generally done in the months of spring or fall. Seeds have to be sown 1 inch deep in the soil. The pea plant has to be supported as it grows taller. It is therefore necessary to insert sticks in the container for providing support to the plant.

The activity of growing peas at home (in containers and also in the backyard vegetable garden) should become a bit easier with the help of the instructions presented above. The topic of peas nutrition should also be studied properly to understand more about this crop.