Garden pea

Pisum sativum

Peas have been cultivated since the Neolithic period, and today they are grown almost worldwide. They contain many vitamins and active compounds. They are also a source of protein and vitamins C, B, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and more. They belong to annual crops. This legume vegetable belongs to the Fabaceae family. The flowers are white and the fruit is a pod. The seeds can be light to dark green.

Peas can be divided into three cultivated groups. Shelling peas whose seeds are suitable for freezing and fresh kitchen preparation. Snow peas, where the entire pod including seeds is consumed. Marrowfat peas, which have a high starch content. They are suitable for heat processing, for example in soups. According to growing earliness, we distinguish very early varieties, early, medium-early, medium-late and late varieties.

How to Grow Peas

• They require a bright location, but not direct scorching sun. Peas are among cold-loving plants. They thrive best at temperatures of 13 – 18 °C. This doesn't mean they can withstand frost. Water abundantly especially during flowering and pod setting. The soil should never dry out completely. Drought doesn't suit peas. Peas are climbing plants, so they need to be provided with support. If we grow peas in rows - we stretch string between them. Peas will be satisfied with any support - fence, pergola, wooden stake. Regularly loosen the soil around the planting and remove weeds.

• Sowing is done early in spring, ideally at the end of March to early April. Shelling peas are sown from April to June. We sow in a prepared plot in rows 15 - 30 cm apart, with seeds 4 - 6 cm apart. Sow seeds to a depth of 5 - 7 cm.

• The soil should be permeable, well-worked with a sufficient dose of nutrients. It shouldn't dry out quickly, but at the same time it mustn't remain waterlogged for long.

• Before planting, fertilize the soil with mature compost or well-rotted manure.

  Apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers as needed. Dosage of 20 kg N, 50 kg P, K 120kg per hectare. If the soil was properly fertilized before sowing, there's no need to add fertilizer during vegetation.

• Pea weevil - its larvae drill holes in seeds. Only one larva dwells in each seed. Larvae damage seeds, reduce yield, quality and germination of peas. Adult beetles eat pollen, corolla petals or pea stamens. Chemical protection is spraying during flowering, when the first two flowers on the stem have finished flowering and the first pod begins to form. Prevention is suitable preventive earlier sowing of peas.

  Pea leaf weevil - damages leaves. Leaf blades are regularly eaten from the edges. Larvae of this beetle also damage plants, live in nodule-like tumors on roots and destroy them. Suitable protection is spraying with Karate or Sumithion preparations and arsenic preparations.

  Wireworms - larvae of click beetles. Plants wilt in rows or in patches. Sown seed doesn't germinate at all. Roots are damaged, visible tunnels can be seen. Larvae are cylindrical and hard, shiny, yellowish-brown and about three centimeters large. Chemical protection is not very suitable. If wireworms appear, regularly and deeply dig the soil and don't leave it undisturbed even after harvest. Fertilizing with nitrogen lime also helps.

  Another enemy of peas are birds, especially jays and pigeons. In this case we apply scarers, traps or nets.

• Harvest takes place approximately from mid-June to mid-July depending on the earliness of sown varieties.

  Early varieties are harvested from the 12th week after planting.

  We harvest snow peas as soon as there are sweet large peas in the pods. It's advisable to simply try one pod to see if they are sufficiently ripe.