Pea and Snowpea

Sds/g:3-5                               Feed Requirements: Low                                   Usual Seed Life: 3 years

Cultural Notes:

• Peas come in three main types- the classic shelling pea providing exploding balls of sweetness; the thick sweet fleshy pods of snap peas; and the snow pea to add crunch to your salad or stir fry.
• Peas like cool weather, producing a heavier and tastier crop than midsummer. Plant seed 2cm deep into soil that has had compost and fertiliser from the previous crop. Rows should be 40-60 cm apart and plants 7-10 cm apart within the rows. While it is great to plant seed as early as the soil can be worked (best to prepare a bed for peas in early autumn if you have heavier soil) the seed can take over a month to germinate in cool soil. So for early sowings pre sprout the seed indoors and plant out once the roots emerge.
• Sow autumn seed about 2 months before first frost.
• Areas without frost can sow seed in autumn for a late winter harvest

Problems:

• Peas are affected by numerous diseases. To minimise these raise the beds so the pea’s feet do not get wet.
• The biggest problem will be powdery mildew once the weather warms up, once this hits pull them out to plant another crop.

Harvest:

• Harvest shelling pas before they become fully mature and the sugar starts to turn to starch.
• Snow peas are harvested with flat pods, while the peas are just forming, and snap peas when the peas are more deveolped providing a fuller pod.
• Continuous harvesting of plants ensures a longer production period.