How to start growing Peas
This is Peas for beginners, a quick search online will bring up a wide range of opinions and rules for growing them, some of it aimed at experienced growers.
I will just encourage you to start with a full proof method, you can then develop your own theories.
You can grow peas, there is a range of sizes and colours, we will choose the easy method.
Choose the correct varieties you may need to grow them in different ways
Tall varieties need support and are better grown in the soil.
Some varieties can be eaten before they fill out often called mangetout or sugar snap others need to be left to form pea pods
Medium height varieties are good for patio pots.
Sow your own
Patio pots
The secret is warmth keep the seeds at 20 degrees (room temperature) and they will germinate quickly.
Sow the seeds in pots 10-13cm, just push them under the compost with your finger about 1cm, aim for 8-10 per pot, water then leave them alone until they germinate. Or sow directly into the final patio pot if you have room.
In the soil
You need to wait for the soil to warm up in the spring sunshine before sowing, 8-10 degrees centigrade is best, normally this will be mid-march onwards, you can use cloches or polythene covers to warm up the soil.
Why not sow them in pots as above for planting out later.
Germinating
This will take about 7 days at 20 degrees room temperature. In the soil, it will depend on the temperature, don’t be tempted to sow in cold wet soil, grow them in the final pot if you have room or smaller pots for planting out later.
Buying pea plants
It is possible to buy pea plants, we sell 13cm pots, but also sold in packs, you can use them to plant into patio pots. You can find packs and strips of peas with the other vegetable plants.
Planting your Peas.
For patio pots choose a pot at least 27cm wide that holds at 10 litres of compost or more. Any compost will do, I would improve the compost by adding perlite 1 litre per 10 litres of compost. Add a small amount of slow-release fertiliser to take care of the feeding.
The peas should be 10-20cm high when you plant them.
Looking after your peas.
Choose a sunny sheltered spot, they need the sun and will grow faster when kept warm.
The stems are soft and can easily be damaged, you will need to help them grow upwards at the start, later the tendrils, the wiry stems, will grab hold.
To support the stems you can use a cane tripod or column of netting.
In the soil use a row of canes and netting.
Our suggested variety of sugar snap can be picked as mangetout or left to develop pea pods. Normal varieties should be left to fill out, you will feel the peas developing inside the pod, pick them when they are all full and even.
Watering
Keep them watered, especially when the pods develop, this might be every day in the summer. If in doubt, water them when the surface of the compost dries out.
In the soil water in dry weather and when the pods develop.
Feeding your peas
Feed them some liquid fertiliser once a week. We add some slow release fertiliser to the compost at planting, this makes sure there is always some feed available.
Problems.
Mice love peas, use a mouse trap baited with peanuts.
In very wet weather peas can get waterlogged and then wilt, this is worse when plants are young. I would move patio pots under cover and cover peas in the soil with cloches or polythene covers.
When do I start
This depends on the final position of your peas
If you have a cold (unheated) greenhouse or grow house.
Sow February or March aiming to plant early to mid-April, have a bit of fleece handy for cold nights or severe weather.
You should be picking the peas towards the end of June.
If you only have a patio or space for a planter.
You should wait for the warmer weather (If you are happy to share your house with the young pea plants you could start earlier)
Sow March or April aiming to plant early May.
With some good weather you should be picking the peas towards the end of July.
Why would you bother growing your own peas, they are so cheap in the supermarket.
Your home grow peas will ripen naturally in the sun developing an extra sweetness, they are so fresh and juicy.
Go on give them a try.
Checklist
- A packet of seeds (to be sown from February to June) or plants available from March to May
- 30cm pots or larger make sure they hold 10 or more litres of compost.
- Compost, try to get one with some John Innes or soil included it will add some weight and help with watering.
- Slow release fertiliser not essential but it will make feeding the plant easier
- Patio pots you will need four 1 metre canes for each pot and some string or make a column of wire or plastic netting.
- In the soil, you need canes and netting.
- Buy some liquid fertiliser when you see it on offer and a watering can to apply the feed.
