What Are the Causes of a Pea Arrest?

Weather

• Peas are cold-season plants, meaning they grow best when temperatures are cool. The planting time for peas varies, depending on the climate. Gardeners in warm southern areas, such as Florida and Texas, may plant peas in the fall and grow them over the winter months, while gardeners in the north must wait until the ground thaws in the spring. Pea plants can tolerate light frosts, but most won't grow when the temperatures exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Growth arrest normally occurs around this temperature, eliminating the chance of further pea harvests from existing plants.

Harvest

• Failure to harvest the ripe pea pods is another cause of growth arrest in some types of pea plants, including Oriental varieties, such as snow peas. The correct time to pick snow peas is about one week after they blossom, when the peas are still very small. Harvesting them daily will encourage continual growth and provide the optimal amount of peas from each plant.

Soil Nutrients

• Inadequate levels of nutrients can stall the growth and development of pea plants. These legumes prefer a soil pH between 6 and 7.5, although many varieties of peas grow in soils with a higher level of alkalinity. The availability of nitrogen plays a major role in the growth of pea plants, especially during the early stages. Incorporating vegetative compost or well-rotted manure into the soil prior to planting the peas will help guard against growth arrest.

Considerations

• Since peas tend to stop growing as the thermometer rises, starting them early in the year provides the longest growing season and the highest rate of success. Plant pea seeds outdoors as soon as the temperatures reach about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Light frosts won't hurt these cool-season plants. They grow best when average temperatures are between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Incorporating loamy materials, such as straw and grass clippings, into the soil will help provide the necessary soil porosity and nutrients. Give these plants about 1 inch of water each week to encourage healthy growth.