How to Fatten Up Snow Peas

The snow pea, or Pisum sativum, belongs to the legume plant family. Also called edible-podded peas, they are often the stars of Chinese-inspired dishes because of their sweet, crunchy nature. Typically, harvest occurs while snow peas are young and tender, before their seeds mature. When they mature and grow a bit plumper, the edible pod can become tough and woody, rendering it inedible. If you want to fatten up your snow peas, choose a variety that will maintain an edible pod when the peas inside swell and allow them to ripen on the plant.

Sugar snap pea seeds
Compost
Shovel
Plant stakes or trellis

Instructions

- 1
  Choose a variety of sugar or snow pea that forms larger seeds than some other types, while retaining its tender pod. Sugar snap peas fall into this category and are often sweeter than other types of edible-podded peas.
- 2
  Grow your snow peas in the appropriate conditions. They prefer the cooler weather of spring and fall and need full sun. Fertile, well-draining soil is also important: Dig organic compost into the planting area in preparation for planting snow pea seeds. Spread about 2 inches of compost on the soil surface and then dig it into the soil to a depth of about 8 inches.
- 3
  Allow sufficient space between plants. Plant snow pea seeds about 1 inch deep and 1 inch apart. If you’re growing more than one row, make rows 18 to 24 inches apart. Thin young plants to stand 10 to 12 inches apart, and also provide a plant stake or trellis for them to climb.
- 4
  Harvest your snow peas after they have swelled to the size of a small marble instead of while the pods remain flat and have peas the size of BBs.

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