The Right Way to Plant Peas

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Last spring I planted peas. Quite honestly, I didn’t have much success. No pods to pick whatsoever. The plants grew no taller than a foot. Several factors could be in play here. Poor soil fertility, temperature fluctuations, and birds were the major problems in my garden last year.

I was really just planting peas by the seat of my pants, sowing a row and hoping for something to reveal itself. This year I will be a bit more mindful of their care and requirements.

Here’s what I plan to do to give my peas a fighting chance this year:

Plant at the right time

St. Patrick’s Day is the traditional pea planting time here in New England. The cool, early-spring weather is ideal for peas, and when the ground is thawed just enough to scratch a hole into it, the time is right.

So if I’m to plant peas, I should get on that pretty quickly.

Have good, rich soil

I’ll make sure I have a good, rich soil. I’ll add a bunch of that compost I’ve been making, dig that into the soil, and give the seeds something nutritious in which to grow.

My soil is somewhat well draining, but I’ll be sure to plant the peas in hills so no standing water accumulates. Nothing likes soil that is too soggy.

Soak the pea seeds

Apparently soaking pea seeds overnight helps activate the germination process. I’ve never tried but will be doing that this year.

Plant peas on stakes

Because I have a small garden and space is at a premium, I’ll plant these pea seeds around the base of a tripod-shaped support made out of bamboo stakes. The vines can then grow up the stakes, saving me room on the ground.

You could also use a tomato cage for them to grow on—you won’t be using it for several months, anyhow.

Use a liquid fertilizer

When the pea plants have sprouted and grown about two inches, I’ll apply a liquid fertilizer just once. Peas make their own nitrogen, like other members of the legume family, so they’ll need just this one fertilizer application when as they are starting off.

Protect peas with netting

Most importantly, I will cover my peas with netting so the birds don’t pluck at their tender developing leaves. Birds can be quite a nuisance with peas. As soon as I see about two sets of leaves on the plants, I’ll begin my efforts to protect them.

Protection against pests and diseases? Good question. I can expect mildews to appear on the leaves, and that’s if the birds and the slugs don’t get at it first. Honestly, I’ll deal with that situation when I come to it, but will likely use a compost tea and the foliar benefits it provides.

If all goes as planned, I should be harvesting my first crop of peas in mid May. I’ll try to plant successive crops every two weeks for eight weeks, realizing that the last crop will be dragging from the heat by the end of June.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Meet Ellen Wells

When you’re raised on a farm, you can’t help but know a thing or two about gardening. Ellen Wells is our expert on edible gardening.…

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