Pea Nebel.Evita

Pisum sativum - Evita

Peas have been cultivated since the Neolithic period, and today they are grown almost all over the world. They contain many vitamins and active substances that help us improve the defense capabilities of our entire organism. They are also a source of proteins and vitamins C, B, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and more. They are 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. Garden peas whose seeds are suitable for freezing and fresh cooking. Sugar snap peas, where the entire pod including seeds is used for consumption. 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 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 does not suit peas well. 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 lath. Regularly loosen the soil around the planting and remove weeds.

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

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

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

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

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

  Pea leaf weevil - damages leaves. Leaf blades are regularly eaten from the edges. The larvae of this beetle also damage plants, living in tubercular growths on the roots and destroying them. Suitable protection is spraying with Karate or Sumithion preparations and arsenic preparations.

  Wireworms - larvae of click beetles. Plants wilt in rows or patches. Sown seeds do not germinate at all. Roots are damaged, visible tunnels can be seen. Larvae are cylindrical and hard, shiny, yellowish-brown and about three centimeters in size. 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.

  Sugar snap peas are harvested when the pods contain sweet large peas. It's advisable to simply try one pod to see if they are sufficiently ripe.