How to Plant Shelling Peas

Shelling peas is not only something you do to get peas out of the pod, it's another name for English peas, which need to come out of the pod before being eaten. Garden peas, another name for shelling peas, have smooth or wrinkled peas. The pea plants are as small as 2 feet, like the Maestro variety with its thin, high-yielding pods or Daybreak, which is good for freezing. Alderman Tall Telephone is a 6-foot-long English heirloom shelling pea with large pods. Peas are eaten fresh, frozen for later or canned.

Soil testing kit
Rototiller
Shovel
Compost
Lime (optional)
Dried manure (optional)
Rhizobial inoculant
Garden hose

Instructions

- 1
  Test the soil before planting to determine pH and nutrient levels. Soil testing kits are available at garden centers and nurseries. You can also contact your local extension office, which provides a kit to test your soil for a fee.
- 2
  Loosen garden soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches with the rototiller or shovel. Use the rototiller for larger gardens and a shovel for smaller ones.
- 3
  Add a 1-inch layer of compost and work into the soil. Mix in lime to raise the soil pH to neutral or slightly alkaline, if recommended by soil test results. Use dried manure lightly to keep the nitrogen content in the soil low.
- 4
  Plant shelling peas 1 to 2 inches deep and 1 to 2 inches apart in the row. Sprinkle the seeds as you plant them with a rhizobial inoculant specifically for the variety of English pea planted. Space double rows 3 to 4 inches apart. Leave 2 feet between each double or single row planting.
- 5
  Cover seeds with 1 inch of soil and gently tamp with your hand. Water soil until evenly moist.

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