By Ronnie Dauber, Garden Guides Contributor
About Peas
This garden vegetable is an annual that grows with little
maintenance in the garden and does extremely well in organic soil.
They grow well even in crowded areas and require little
maintenance. The fruits of the plant are the peas, which can be
eaten raw, but both the peas and the pod are delicious when cooked
and sautéed with butter.
Site Preparation
Peas are extremely weather tolerant and the seeds can be planted in
the spring while frost is still in the ground. The seeds will
germinate in a wide range of soil temperatures, from 40 to 75
degrees F, as long as the soil is moist and well drained and there
is a moderate exposure to full sunlight.
Special Features
Peas are natural climbers and can add beauty to a fence in the
spring when the colored blossoms appear. They grow well with other
vegetables including celery, carrots, corn, cucumbers, eggplant,
early potato, radish, spinach, peppers and turnips.
Choosing a Variety
There are many varieties of peas that feature a slight variance in
the taste, the size of the pods and the yield for each plant.
* The Dual Pea produces long pods with 10 to 14 medium sized peas
and matures in about 64 days.
* The Dakota Pea is a very early dwarf-type producing double pods
of about 5 to 6 peas each and with a constant outstanding yield.
Excellent in soups.
* The Knight Pea matures in about 58 days with very tasty peas and
is ideal as the tasty vegetable with any main dish.
* The Frosty Pea produces double pods about 3
1/2 inches
long with a constant harvest of suburb quality peas, maturing in 67
days. This pea is ideal for freezing.
* The Galena Pea yields long, bright green pods on 30 inch tall
plants that are well filled with peas and can be preserved or
marketed.
Planting
Pea plants prefer cool growing conditions and can be planted into
the garden right after the last frost passes. Sow the seed 1 to 1
1/2 inches deep and 1 to 2 inches apart in double rows
spaced 3 to 6 inches apart, 24 inches between the next double row.
They grow best when they are able to climb rather than being
subjected to root rot on the ground. They thrive in sunny to
partially shaded areas and in well-drained, rich and sandy
soil.
Care
The plants should be covered in mulch to preserve the moisture and
to keep the weeds down.
Harvesting and Storage
The best tasting peas are harvested when the pods are young and
tender. They should be picked regularly to promote continued
production once the plant has reached maturity. Peas in their pods
can be blanched and frozen for up to 6 months.
