How To Grow Peas

Growing Peas - Peas need to be sown in warm soil, if Peas are sown in cold and wet soil they will simply rot away. In early spring simply cover the soil with black polythene before sowing the peas and then keep the seedlings warm with a fleece. Shorter varieties of Peas can be sown in a flat trench, 5cm deep and around 25cm across.

First of all water the trench then sow the peas 5 to 7cm apart in three rows along the bottom of the trench, then backfill it with soil and firm the soil up gently. Several dwarf and semi-leafless peas can be sown in small areas. Place peas 12-14cm apart, pushing the seed to a depth of 5-6cm into the ground. For larger and taller varieties of peas, sow the seeds in single rows around 5-10cm apart but make sure you leave enough space for plant supports.

Create a single V-shaped drill about 5cm deep, then water the base of the drill and sow the peas. You can add further rows of peas around 30cm apart. Supporting your peas – Simply use bamboo canes, or a small trellis to provide support for the plants. Once your peas have reached 5-8cm in height and their tendrils begin to reach out for support, place bamboo canes or trellis next to your plants.

If you want to grow an early crop of peas, try sowing seeds in a length of old guttering from late September onwards. As we do not want the peas to get too damp drill drainage holes at 10cm intervals along the guttering. Then simply fill them to the top with seed compost and add an early pea variety - space the peas around 7.5cm apart.

To keep the peas warm site the guttering in a greenhouse or a cold frame.

When sowing and planting pak choi buy green stemmed cultivars as these are commonly more tastier than white stemmed types. It is a very adaptable plant that can be grown as a cut and come again crop or simply harvested as a mature plant.

Ensure the compost is kept moist and transplant into the garden once the seedlings have started to shoot. Then dig out a shallow trench and slowly slide the peas into the trench. Water and cover with fleece or cold-frame to encourage growth.

How to harvest peas - Picking Peas regularly is essential for truly fresh peas. Always harvest Peas from the bottom of the pea plant working upwards. After harvesting do not pull the plant up, the roots are full of nitrogen forming bacteria, so cut off the stems at their base and just allow the roots to rot down, releasing nitrogen back into the soil for next years pea crop.

If you are having problems with your pea plants then read our section on Pea Pests And Diseases

By Richard Allen -