Peas — FarmPal
Sweet harbingers of spring. One of the first crops you can plant each year.
Sun
full
Water
moderate
Spacing
2-4 inches apart, rows 18-24 inches apart
Days to Harvest
Snap/snow: 55-70 days. Shelling: 60-80 days
Planting Depth
1-2 inches deep
Companion Plants
Carrots
Turnips
Radishes
Cucumbers
Corn
Beans
Avoid Planting Near
Onions
Garlic
Shallots
Chives
Common Pests
Aphids
Pea weevils
Thrips
Cutworms
Diseases to Watch
Powdery mildew
Fusarium wilt
Root rot
Mosaic virus
Growing Tips
- •Plant as soon as soil can be worked in spring peas love cool weather
- •Inoculate seeds with rhizobium bacteria for better nitrogen fixation
- •Install support/trellis at planting time even for "bush" types
- •Succession plant every 2 weeks until temperatures reach 65°F
- •Plant again in late summer for fall harvest
- •Mulch to keep roots cool as weather warms
Harvesting
- •Shelling peas: harvest when pods are plump but still bright green
- •Snow peas: harvest when pods are flat, peas barely visible
- •Snap peas: harvest when pods are plump and crisp
- •Pick every 1-2 days to encourage continued production
- •Use two hands one to hold vine, one to pick
Storage
Best eaten immediately sugar converts to starch quickly. Blanch and freeze same day.
Varieties
Sugar Snap
Original snap pea. Eat pod and all. Sweet, crunchy.
Oregon Sugar Pod II
Snow pea. Flat pods. Disease resistant. Bush type.
Lincoln
Classic shelling pea. Very sweet. Heavy producer.
Little Marvel
Compact bush. Good for containers. Early.
Cascadia
Snap pea with disease resistance. Stringless pods.