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Make sure you choose open-pollinated seeds to ensure that the seeds stay true to their variety. If you plan to plant more than one pea variety and would like to save seeds, just make sure you put a little distance between the varieties and you should easily be able to save the seeds from each type.
Once the pods are dry and brittle on the plant, break them off and collect them. Remove the pea seeds from the pods, and if they are still at all moist, continue to dry in a dehydrator or on a sunny windowsill until totally dry cut one open to check! You can then put them in an envelope or small bag and label with the variety and date. Seeds store best in dark, cool and dry environments, so I recommend putting your seed envelopes all together in a large container and adding in some of the desiccant packets that come in shoeboxes or vitamin bottles sometimes.
You can make your own desiccant packets by wrapping up a little powdered milk in some tissue paper and adding that to the seed jar, too. The milk powder will absorb any moisture and help to preserve your seeds for as long as possible. According to the principles of companion planting, peas are beneficial or friendly towards members of the brassica family broccoli, kale, etc , and they are mutually helpful for turnip, cauliflower and garlic, with each plant aiding the other.
It is also thought that peas grow better when planted near mint. Crop rotation is an important part of maintaining a healthy and productive garden, because different plants use different amounts of the nutrients that are in the soil.
By rotating crops you also avoid spreading some plant-specific diseases. Peas are an important contributor to this cycle because of their nitrogen-fixing ability. Ideally, peas are planted after a crop of cucumbers, squash or melons, or else leafy greens, spinach or kale. Peas would be best followed by either corn, wheat or oats, or a member of the nightshade family, such as potatoes, eggplant, peppers, or tomatoes.
You can also sow peas as a cover crop, which is a quickly-grown crop after the main harvest. It is used to prevent soil erosion during the fall, winter and early spring, and to return nutrients into the soil before the next major crop gets planted. Then in the spring you can till under the remaining plant matter ,and it will feed the soil with the nitrogen and other nutrients as you plant your next main crop. Peas are naturally upward-reaching plants, well-suited to vertical gardening.
Even dwarf bush peas appreciate a little support, but the tall climbing pea varieties absolutely require it. Trellises and vertical structures can be as simple or as fancy as you want them to be.
While there are many options for trellises available on the market, you can also do it yourself quite easily. Some people will just put sticks from around the garden upright in amongst the bush peas for supports. I like to use a simple system with bamboo hoops criss-crossed over each other, with strings hanging down for the peas to catch onto. I have also trained them to climb up chicken wire attached from the side of my shed roof, down to the raised bed at the base.
As far as garden crops go, the pea is relatively problem-free. It can succumb to powdery mildew , root rot, and mosaic virus, but these are mainly avoided by choosing resistant varieties and practicing good garden hygiene by rotating crops regularly. Being careful not to over-water is also key to deterring rot.
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Home Yard and garden Find plants Vegetables Growing peas. Peas need less fertilizer than other crops. Plant seeds as soon as the ground has thawed and the soil is workable.
As soon as you pick the peas, cool them quickly. They will keep in the refrigerator for a week or more. Soil pH and fertility. Open all Close all. Soil testing and fertilizer Have your soil tested. If your soil tests high in phosphorus, use a low phosphorus such as , 3, or or no phosphorus such as or fertilizer. Many soils, from sandy to heavy clay, are good for peas as long as you have well-drained soil. Peas grow best in soil with a pH between 6 and 7.
Use well-rotted manure or compost at planting. Continuous use of high phosphorus fertilizer such as or , or high rates of manure or manure compost results in phosphorus buildup in the soil.
Although phosphate fertilizer applied to soil is bound tightly and resistant to movement in the soil, some runoff may occur. It can then become a major pollution concern in our lakes, rivers and streams. Do not use any fertilizer containing a weed killer "Weed and Feed" , as it may kill your vegetable plants. Selecting plants. Choosing pea varieties Nearly all pea varieties on the market are open-pollinated, rather than hybrids. Starting seeds The season for pea growing is short wherever a cool spring turns quickly to a hot summer, as it does in much of Minnesota.
Below are some tips for planting peas: Plant the seed as soon as the soil has thawed and is workable. Plant tall, vining varieties at the base of the trellis in a single row. Trellises can have two vertical stakes with either string or netting between them. You can plant shorter bush types in a single row near a trellis. You can also plant them in a wide row, between 12 and 18 inches wide, where the plants will cling to and support each other.
Treat the pea seed carefully. Cracked seeds are unlikely to germinate, especially in the cool, moist soil of early spring. Place the seeds in a shallow trench, six to seven inches apart. For a wide row, broadcast the seed over the prepared seedbed, with seeds about two inches apart in all directions. Evenly place the seeds into a narrow trench in the soil.
Make sure they are at a uniform depth and cover them with one inch of soil. Firm the soil over the seeds. You may make a second planting a week later, and another a week after that, for a longer harvest period. Once pollination has taken place, the fertilized flowers fade to make way for the pea pods. Honeybees are attracted to the pea's blossoms where they move the fine dustlike pollen from the male to female reproductive parts.
Once pollinated, fertilization takes place inside the female ovaries, and tiny pea pods appear as the flowers wither and die. Peas produce six to eight peas inside each pod, and each pea contains the materials to grow another plant. The time frame for flower and pod production depends on the variety, as not all peas mature at the same rate. Generally, taller varieties, such as "Mayfair," mature in about 72 days, while "Strike," a short variety growing to just 2 feet, produces pea pods within 49 days.
Peas are among the easiest crops to grow. The seeds are large and easy to handle, and unlike frost-tender plants, you don't need to start them indoors but can plant them directly into the garden.
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