How to properly grow seed peas

If you have a land plot, then most likely you have already thought about what you want to plant on it. Let's look at the technology of growing such a vegetable crop as seed 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 (order of arrangement of veins in the leaf) reticular;
• dicotyledonous seeds;
• the stem is round, hollow inside;
• fruit - a bean, inside of which seeds (peas) ripen.

There are several classifications of vegetable peas. It happens:

• peeling... Used for seeds, dried, industrially processed into dried peas, starch, peas. These peas are not very good when green;
• sugar... Pods and peas are eaten whole in a green form. The pod leaves do not have rigid septa;
• cerebral... It is grown for the sake of green peas and for winter harvesting (canning, freezing). The pods themselves are not eaten - their shutters are covered from the inside with a hard layer of skin (parchment).

There are other classifications as well. For example, according to the ripening rate, peas are:

• early (the first crop is harvested 60-70 days after germination);
• 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-sized (80-115 cm);
• tall (above 115 cm).

reference... Peas do not need increased heat. Therefore, it is most often grown outdoors rather than in greenhouses.

Pros and cons of peas

The benefits of peas are that they contain:

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

Peas also have negative sides:

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

Varieties

Here is a description of the varieties of seed peas most demanded by gardeners:

Note... Some summer residents believe that Vika growing in Russian fields is a variety of sowing peas. The plant does belong to the legume family, but it is a separate crop.

Pea yield

On retail seed packs sold in horticultural stores, growers rarely indicate the absolute yield of pea varieties. But gardeners say that from 1 sq. m it is possible 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.

Which soil is suitable

Peas grow well on light fertile soils.

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

If the soil is sandy (light, almost does not retain water), humus (compost) is added 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 garden where they grew before:

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

Planting seeds

Peas are known for their cold resistance. His seeds can germinate at 2-5 degrees of heat. They begin to plant peas in the third decade of April. This can be done until the onset of July (later it is not worth it, the peas may not have time to ripen).

When planting in the garden, grooves are made and spilled with water. Pea seeds are placed there.

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

The seeding depth is 3-5 cm.The distance between the peas is 5-10 cm, between the grooves - from 15 to 40 cm.

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 tamped for better adhesion to the soil.

Seedlings

Young seedlings tolerate slight 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 crop and 7-10 days of maturity shift.

The optimum temperature for the growth of peas 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 the depths of the soil.

Most plants need water during the growth of the stem and ripening of the beans.

Support

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

Attention! Dwarf (undersized) pea varieties do not need supports.

What can be used for support:

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

Fertilization

It is good to fertilize the garden 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 potash and phosphorus fertilizers (20-25 g per 1 sq. M). In the spring, it is allowed to add ammonium nitrate once (according to the dosage from the instructions) during the period from germination to the appearance of flowers.

Caution! It is better not to plant peas on a freshly fertilized garden bed, otherwise it will grow abundant foliage, and the pods will turn out to be weak.

Harvesting

On plants planted in late April, beans begin to ripen from July onwards. Harvesting can be adjusted and extended by planting peas in several beds with a sowing interval of 2-3 weeks. This will allow you to feast on tender peas almost until September.

Prevention of diseases and pests

Pea cultivars are generally disease resistant.

For the prevention of pests, a thorough pre-sowing digging of the earth 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:

Next to which crops it is better to plant peas.

Features of growing green peas.

Reviews of gardeners

Here are some feedback on the seed pea growing process:

Ekaterina, Khimki... I grew the variety Ambrosia in the country. I liked it. Sweet delicate peas. The pods are dense. Not demanding to leave.

Goga59. The Zhegalova 112 variety impressed with the size of the pod. Almost 2 cm wide and 13 cm long. The plant grows in height under 2 m. Good yield.

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

Alexander Ray. Grew up Adagumsky peas last season. Before flowering, I decided to feed it with complex fertilizer. Apparently he overdid it. Burned the plants. The inflorescences collapsed, the stems turned yellow. I read that it is better to fertilize not the peas themselves, but the garden in advance in the fall. I won't make this mistake again.

Let's sum up

Pea seeds planted directly in the ground, you do not need to tinker with seedlings. In general, caring for a pea bed is simple. If you choose varieties with different ripening periods or plant seeds on the beds with a break of several weeks, you can extend the harvesting period and please yourself and your family with sweet seed peas for a long time.