When Do You Start Planting Peas?

Types of Peas

• In addition to the traditional garden or English pea that must be removed from the pod, the Pisum sativum genus also includes edible flat pods that contain tiny unformed peas. Snap peas (Pisum macrocarpon) produce full-sized peas contained in edible pods. English peas are either smooth or wrinkled and produce from five to nine peas per pod, depending on variety. Smooth varieties lend themselves well to the earliest spring plantings, while wrinkled types are more tolerant of warm weather and can be planted later in the season. All peas should be eaten as soon as possible after harvesting, as this is when they are at their peak of freshness and flavor.

Culture

• The pea patch is best prepared during the fall and enriched with lots of organic matter such as compost or aged manure. As legumes are capable of producing their own nitrogen from the soil, peas don't need much additional fertilizer, as too much nitrogen results in lush foliage but little pod production. Peas do best in loose, well-drained soil that receives at least six hours of sunlight each day. In warmer climates, it helps to plant them next to taller vegetation that can provide some shade during the hottest part of the day, as peas wilt readily in extreme heat. Additional water should be provided if the vines show any sign of wilting, but the soil should drain freely and not remain saturated. Fall crops should be planted about eight to 10 weeks before the first frost date and may not do well if warm weather persists.

Planting Peas

• Peas should be planted 1 to 4 inches apart and 1 to 2 inches deep in rows that are about 18 inches apart for dwarf varieties. They can also be grown in wide rows, planted 1 inch apart in bands measuring 3 inches wide, which works out to roughly 25 seeds per foot of row. Sow seeds about 1 inch deep in cool moist soil and 2 inches deep in dry soil. Stakes or other supports for vining peas should be installed at planting time so as not to disturb plant roots, and the rows should be spaced 4 to 6 feet apart. If the soil is cold and soggy, consider building a raised bed to improve drainage.

Suggested Varieties

• English peas grow as long vines that need staking or as dwarf varieties that need little to no staking. They are also available as early or late varieties that can be planted at about the same type to prolong harvests. Staking heirloom or traditional peas keeps vines and pods off the ground, making for a cleaner harvest and easier picking. Early varieties include "Novella II," "Little Marvel" and "Maestro," all of which produce large crops. Later varieties include "Bolero," Lincoln" and "Wando." "Little Sweetie" and "Oregon Sugar Pod II" are varieties of snow peas, while "Sugar Daddy Stringless" is a snap pea variety developed to eliminate the task of removing the strings that form on traditional pods. Early English, also called shell peas, mature in about 60 days, while late varieties can be harvested in roughly 70 to 75 days. Snow peas and snap peas are generally ready in about 75 to 80 days.