Peas are easy to grow

In short: Peas are undemanding: sow them directly into neutral soil with a pH of around 6.5 in March to April, 5–6 cm deep and 5–10 cm apart. Depending on the variety, harvest comes 65–100 days after sowing. Give the plants netting or stakes to climb and water them during dry periods.

Garden pea (pisum sativa) is a plant originally from the eastern Mediterranean. Its cultivation as a crop plant has been known since the Neolithic period. Today, it is grown almost all over the world.

Garden pea is an annual, climbing herb that flowers from May to September. One to four flowers grow in a single inflorescence. Their color ranges from white to pink-purple. The specific coloring depends on the individual pea varieties.

The stem is prostrate, hollow and smooth. The leaves are pinnate and consist of one to three pairs of leaflets that end in a tendril. The oblong-ovate leaflets have short petioles. The fruit are oblong, flat pods containing seeds known as peas. Pea is an economically important plant. In addition to the garden pea grown in gardens, there is also a field variant of pea - field pea (pisum sativum subsp. arvense). This pea variety has purple-white flowers, small pods, and unripe seeds have a slightly bitter taste. It is used in agricultural production as fodder or as green manure.

Three types of cultivars have been bred for consumption:

• Shelling pea (pisum sativa), which is intended for shelling. It blooms with white flowers. Unripe seeds are sweet and round, ripe ones are yellow or green. They are harvested after ripening and drying. The fruits are hard at this time, but this doesn't matter because this type of pea is intended especially for cooking.

• Marrowfat pea (pisum sativa L., medulare) is another pea variant. It is grown for unripe pods, which are consumed whole or only the seeds can be eaten. Unripe pods can be preserved or frozen. After ripening, the seeds lose water, causing them to wrinkle and become unsuitable for consumption. Even after cooking, the seeds of this type of pea remain firm.

• Sugar pea (pisum sativa L., sacharatum) is the last pea variant intended for growing in gardens. Its flowers are white or white-pink. The pods are sweet, fleshy, crisp, and do not contain an inner tough skin. The seeds are round, sweet-tasting, and slightly wrinkled. They have a higher sugar content, making them suitable for direct consumption in raw form. This variant is grown relatively rarely here, and is more suitable for growing in warmer regions.

Growing Peas

Peas are suitable for growing in neutral soil with a pH value of approximately 6.5. They thrive in lighter and medium-heavy weed-free soils that can retain sufficient water. Sow peas directly into the ground in March to April (depending on which variety you're sowing - early varieties are sown earlier, late varieties later. Therefore, check the packaging where the specific recommended sowing time is always stated.)

Sow individual seeds at a depth of 5 - 6 cm, spaced approximately 5 - 10 cm apart. Row spacing is approximately 25 - 30 cm; adjust the distance according to the support you'll use for climbing stems. The time from sowing to harvest ranges from 65 - 100 days, depending on the specific variety. After planting, don't let the soil dry out. After germination, provide pea plants with support they can climb. Netting or stakes are used. During dry periods, don't forget to water the peas. From time to time, loosen the soil and remove weeds around the plants. The soil doesn't need additional fertilizing.

Pea Pests

As a preventive measure against pests, peas can be protected with spraying. The most common pests are pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), pea weevil or broad bean weevil. The pea aphid is a type of aphid that sucks plant juices from leaf tissues. You can recognise infested plants by stunted growth, poor flowering and small yields. Aphids form colonies. Both pea and broad bean weevils attack ripening seeds. Adult insects lay eggs during the flowering period and the larvae hatch just when the pods are forming. You can fight pests with products such as Pirimor 50 WG or Decis Mega.

Why Give Peas a Chance in Your Garden?

Besides the fact that fresh pea seeds taste very good, they are also very healthy. Peas are an excellent source of plant-based protein. Peas have the ability to quickly satisfy the body and provide it with plenty of energy. In times when meat was not as common on the plate as it is today, peas, along with other legumes, were one of the most important foods. They should be included in the diet especially by vegetarians, athletes, growing children and people doing heavy physical work.

In addition to protein, peas also contain many important vitamins and minerals. Fresh, young peas are a rich source of vitamin C. They contain plenty of carotenes that protect eyesight and stimulate mucous membrane regeneration. Peas also contain large amounts of certain B vitamins (B1, B2, B3), which are important for mental health, strong nerves, healthy skin and strong hair. Peas are also a source of calcium, phosphorus, potassium and copper.

The nucleic acids contained in pea seeds also have rejuvenating and regenerating effects on the body. The combination of vitamins, minerals, proteins and nucleic acids makes peas a nutritionally valuable food that provides energy to the whole body. People suffering from digestive problems, bloating and those suffering from gout should avoid excessive consumption of peas. The risk of bloating can be reduced by soaking peas before cooking. Unwanted purines are released into the water, so replace the water with fresh water before cooking.

Peas in the Kitchen

The most famous traditional Czech dish is pea soup or porridge. Fresh peas are excellent in salads, as a side dish with meat or fish. Pea seeds can also be used in vegetable or meat soups, in risotto. There are no limits to the imagination in the culinary use of peas.

If you want to harvest peas throughout the season, plant the seeds at regular intervals of approximately 2-3 weeks. After harvesting one batch of peas, a new one will be ripening right away.