How to Grow Sugar Pea Pods in Oregon

Amend the soil pH in a well-draining area open to full or partial sun to between 6.0 and 7.0 about six months to one year before planting sugar peas, if needed. Use the results of a soil test to determine the amounts of dolomitic lime or elemental sulfur you need to raise or lower the pH.

Work four inches of compost into the soil in February if you live in coastal Oregon or in the western or southern valleys, using a spade fork for the task. Work the soil in March if you live in the Snake River or Columbia areas. Work the soil as soon as it becomes friable, or crumbly when squeezed, if you live on the high plains in the eastern and central parts of the state.

Plant pea seeds 2 inches apart and 1 inch deep in the soil after cultivating it. Space rows 18 inches apart. Install a 3- to 4-foot-tall wood trellis a few inches from where you planted the sugar peas if growing a pole variety.

Water the soil with 1 to 2 inches of water after the initial planting. Water the peas with just enough water to keep the soil moist, in the morning, after planting. Water the peas with 1 inch of water per week when the pods start to fill out.

Cultivate the soil shallowly, about 1/2 inch deep, using a hoe to keep weeds in check.

Check the pea plants regularly for aphids -- green, yellow, brown or black pests that measure about 1/16 inch long usually found on leaves. Spray aphids from the plants with a strong blast of water from a garden hose as needed.

Check the plants for whitish larvae that measure between 1/8 to 1/4 inch long, usually lady beetle or lacewings in the larval stage. Mix together 2 1/2 tablespoons of insect-killing soap with 1/2 gallon of water in a handheld spray bottle and spray the larvae until covered. Repeat as needed until harvest. Spray aphids with insecticidal soap if they return in force after spraying them away with water.

Check the leaves for patches of gray mycelium, fuzzy fungal growth that often indicates a powdery mildew infection. Avoid wetting the leaves when watering the soil, and pull off any affected foliage when it dries to treat powdery mildew. Keep the ground free of fallen leaves and diseased plant parts.

Harvest the peas by grasping the vines or stems with one hand and pulling the pods away with the other. Harvest the peas about 60 to 100 days after planting, depending on the variety, or when the pods fill out but before the heat of summer, which halts pod development.