How to properly grow seed peas

If you have a plot of land, then most likely you have already thought about what you want to plant on it. Let's look at the technology for growing such a vegetable crop as peas. Surely there is a corner in your garden for this sweet delicacy.

Description and types of seed peas

Sowing peas (also called vegetable peas) are an annual climbing plant of the legume family.

Some morphological characteristics of peas:

• venation (the order of veins in a leaf) reticulate;
• dicotyledonous seeds;
• the stem is round, hollow inside;
• The fruit is a bean, inside of which seeds (peas) ripen.

There are several classifications of vegetable peas. It happens:

• peeling. They are used for seeds, dried, and industrially processed into dried peas, starch, and pea cereal. When green, these peas are not very good;
• sugar. The pods and peas are eaten entirely in their green form. The pod valves do not have rigid partitions;
• cerebral. It is grown for green peas and for winter storage (canning, freezing). The pods themselves are not eaten - their leaves are covered from the inside with a hard layer of skin (parchment).

There are other classifications. For example, according to the speed of ripening, peas are:

• early (the first harvest is harvested 60-70 days after emergence);
• mid-season (70-90 days before harvest);
• late (sings longer than 90 days).

The height of the bushes is also taken into account. According to it, peas are classified into:

• dwarf (up to 50 cm);
• semi-dwarf (50-80 cm);
• medium height (80-115 cm);
• tall (above 115 cm).

Reference. Peas do not need increased heat. Therefore, it is most often grown in open ground rather than in greenhouses.

Pros and cons of peas

The benefits of peas are that they contain:

• many vitamins and microelements necessary for the human body;
• record protein content among all vegetables (on par with beans);
• low in calories (55 kcal per 100 g) and high in fiber, which makes it a valuable food product.

Peas also have negative sides:

• in people prone to allergies, it can provoke an exacerbation of the disease;
• causes increased gas formation.

Varieties

Here is a description of the varieties of seed peas most in demand among gardeners:

Note. Some summer residents believe that Vika growing in Russian fields is a variety of seed pea. The plant actually belongs to the legume family, but is a separate crop.

Pea yield

On retail packages of seeds sold in gardening stores, manufacturers rarely indicate an absolute figure for the yield of pea varieties. But gardeners say that from 1 sq. m manages to collect an average of 0.4-0.7 kg.

How to grow

Let's look at the nuances of the process of growing peas.

What soil is suitable

Peas grow well in light, fertile soils.

If the soil is clayey (heavy), it is advisable to dilute it with sand and compost in the amount of one bucket (10-12 l) per 1 square meter. m beds.

If the soil is sandy (light, almost does not retain water), add humus (compost) for nutritional value, and clay for weight. All one bucket per 1 sq. m.

Predecessors

Every culture has its best predecessors. Peas will grow well and give a rich harvest if you plant them in the bed where they grew before:

• potato;
• cabbage;
• tomatoes;
• sugar beet;
• pumpkin.

Planting seeds

Peas are known for their cold hardiness. His seeds can germinate at 2-5 degrees Celsius. They begin to plant peas in the third ten days of April. This can be done until July (it’s not worth it later, the peas may not have time to ripen).

When planting, make grooves in the garden bed and water them. Pea seeds are placed there.

Attention! Peas can be planted with either dry or sprouted seeds. In the second case, the time for emergence of seedlings above the ground is reduced.

The seeding depth is 3-5 cm. A distance of 5-10 cm is maintained between peas, and from 15 to 40 cm between grooves.

Attention! Peas in a row can be planted more densely (for example, after 3 cm) in case not all the seeds sprout.

The planting is sprinkled with earth and compacted for better adhesion to the soil.

Shoots

Young seedlings tolerate light frosts. But it is better not to subject them to such a test and, if necessary, wrap them up. Although the plants will not die from frost, the cold will affect the yield. This can cost the gardener 25-30% of the harvest and 7-10 days of delayed ripening.

The optimal temperature for pea growth is 15-24 degrees Celsius.

Watering

Peas do not tolerate heat well and need additional watering. Frequency and abundance depend on the weather.

You should not oversaturate the soil with water.Peas have a good root system that can draw moisture from deep in the soil.

Plants need water most during the period of stem growth and ripening of beans.

Supports

When the seedlings rise 8-15 cm above the ground, it is recommended to place supports between the plants. This is necessary so that the peas grow vertically and do not spread the stem along the ground.

Attention! Dwarf (low-growing) pea varieties do not need supports.

What can be used for support:

• long thin sticks, metal and plastic rods (stuck into the ground near the root of the plant);
• mesh mesh (attached along rows with crops);
• twine, rope, braid, etc. (stretch along the plants).

Fertilizer application

It is good to fertilize the bed where the peas will grow with wood ash in the fall. Dosage – a glass of ash per 1 sq. m of soil.

When plowing the land in autumn, it is advisable to apply potassium and phosphorus fertilizers (20-25 g per 1 sq. m). In the spring, it is allowed to apply ammonium nitrate once (according to the dosage from the instructions) during the period from germination to the appearance of flowers.

Carefully! It is better not to plant peas on a freshly fertilized bed, otherwise they will grow abundant foliage and the pods will be weak.

Harvesting

On plants planted at the end of April, the beans begin to ripen starting in July. The harvest can be regulated and extended if you plant peas in several beds with an interval of 2-3 weeks in the sowing dates. This will allow you to enjoy tender peas almost until September.

Prevention of diseases and pests

Selected pea varieties are generally disease resistant.

To prevent pests, a thorough pre-sowing digging of the soil is carried out. It is important not to plant peas for the second season in a row in the same area. This will reduce the likelihood of pests.

If aphids or pea moths appear on the plants, it is recommended to sprinkle them with garlic infusion (chop 150-200 g of garlic, dilute in 5 liters of water and leave for 4-5 hours).

Read also:

What crops are best to plant peas next to?

Features of growing green peas.

Reviews from gardeners

Here are some reviews about the process of growing seed peas:

Ekaterina, Khimki. I grew the Ambrosia variety at the dacha. I liked it. Sweet tender peas. The pods are dense. Not demanding of care.

Goga59. The Zhegalova variety 112 amazed me with its pod size. Almost 2 cm wide and 13 cm long. The plant has grown to a height of 2 m. Good yield.

Arthur, Yelsk. I liked the mid-season Gloriosa. It has long pods with a sharp tip. The taste is excellent. Little care: just tie it up and water it.

Alexander Ray. Last season I grew Adagum peas. Before flowering, I decided to feed it with complex fertilizer. Apparently he went too far. Scorched the plants. The inflorescences fell off and the stems turned yellow. I read that it is better to fertilize not the peas themselves, but the bed in advance in the fall. I won't make that mistake again.

Let's sum it up

Pea seeds They are planted directly into the ground; there is no need to mess with the seedlings. In general, caring for a pea bed is not difficult. If you select varieties with different ripening periods or plant seeds in beds spaced several weeks apart, you can extend the harvest period and delight yourself and your family with sweet peas for a long time.