- Garden, snow and sugar snap peas are the three cool-season types of peas. The individual round garden peas are removed from the pod and then grouped and packaged. Sugar snap peas, which are developed from the garden pea variety, are cultivated for both their individual peas as well as their pods. Snow peas produce flat snow pea pods. Each pea variety must be harvested differently in order to get the best results for optimum growth.
- Depending on the plant type, early spring and late summer are the best times of the year to plant peas. This is because as a cool-season vegetable, peas tend to yield a larger harvest if planted right after the frost or after the high-heat months have subsided. If you plant garden peas in early spring, they will have all season to mature before picking. Plant with the ground temperatures no lower than 45 degrees and when the soil is moist.
- You need to do very little digging to begin cultivating the pea plant. Start by planting pea seeds between 1/4 to 1/2 inches deep into the soil. After the seedlings sprout, transplant the peas to their final growing area in the soil. Place them only 1 inch apart, side-by-side. If you have more than one row, plant the seedlings with a minimum distance of at least 1 foot in between each row.
Like most garden vegetables, pea plants need many full days worth of sunlight. Unlike other vegetables, the pea thrives in cool weather. They also do not grow very well in those extreme hot months of the year from June through mid-August. Water the soil weekly if needed and only enough to keep it moist. Water the soil about 1 inch deep, saturating around, but not actually on, the pea plant. - Different pea varieties mature at different times. Garden peas take longest to mature over both snow peas and sugar snap peas. This is why it is best to plant them in early spring in order to give them plenty of time to mature. They are ready to pick when the pods are swollen and showing the indentation of fully matured peas inside.
Pick snow peas before they are fully grown. Picking time varies between five to seven days after they flower. The pods should be still flat when picked. Snow pea pods make tasty additions to fresh salads and stir-fry dishes.
Sugar snap peas are best picked when they are almost mature. Unlike garden peas, the pods should not be swollen; and unlike snow peas, neither should the pods be flat when picked. - Test the peas for ripeness. Before you harvest them all, pick just a few and taste them to ensure they are sweet and flavorful. All vegetables are best eaten shortly after they are freshly picked, and peas are no exception. Fresh peas typically last in the refrigerator for up to three days. However, if this is not possible or desirable, try vacuum-packing a few of them and placing the bag in the freezer for a few days to extend their value. Test a few bags this way and see how you like it before you continue this type of storage process. Another option is to plant what you know you will consume to avoid waste.
- Fertilizer is the enemy of the pea plant in its early stages of growth. However, organic fertilizer can actually improve the health of the plant after transplantation. This is especially true if the plants start to show early signs of an infection such as root rot or fusarium wilt. Signs include yellowing leaves and stunted growth. In addition to using an organic fertilizer, keeping the soil bed well-drained will help bring in needed nutrients to the pea plant.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -