Peas have long since shed their reputation as poor people's food. Even children who are resistant to vegetables eat heartily. The delicate legumes have become indispensable in a modern garden. Easy-to-understand instructions show how the uncomplicated cultivation flourishes.

Which pea varieties thrive in the home vegetable garden?

Various varieties are based on 3 types of peas. Frost-tolerant split peas, the ideal dried peas, are ideal for early cultivation. Mid-early wrinkled peas are eaten fresh. They score with a mild-sweet aroma. An unbeatable favorite for children are the tender sugar snap peas, which taste great with the pod.

Which site conditions have to be considered?

Peas will grow in any good garden soil. Ideally, you will find the following conditions there:

  • sunny to semi-shady position
  • nutrient-rich soil, humic, fresh and slightly calcareous
  • an average pH of 6.0-8.0

No peas or other legumes may have been cultivated there in the previous 3 years.

When are peas sown?

The dates for sowing are closely linked to the type of pea to which your favorite variety belongs. The cold-resistant pale peas can be planted in the bed as early as mid-March. Wrinkled peas and mangetout will follow in mid-April.

Is it worth giving preference to peas?

Cultivation behind glass is rewarded with a harvest about 3 weeks earlier. In February it is sown in pots with potting soil. The germination temperature is a low 5 degrees Celsius. From a growth height of 8-10 cm it goes out into the bed.

What are the values for planting distance and sowing depth?

Direct sowing in the garden requires a row spacing of 40 cm. However, the climbing aids should not be set up more than 20 cm. Place the individual seeds 3-4 cm apart. To protect against voracious pests, the sowing depth varies by 5-6 cm.

Which crop rotation determines the cultivation of peas?

As a rule of thumb, all legumes or legumes are incompatible with themselves. Unfavorable neighbors are therefore beans, tomatoes, spinach, peppers, garlic, onions and leeks.

Suitable neighbors are carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, kale, kohlrabi, lemon balm, zucchini, sage, celery and mustard.

According to which instructions should climbing aids be constructed?

There is a wide scope for trellis support for peas. As long as it is a stable construction that protects peas from windthrow, you are free to choose the construction method.

Instead of following instructions, simply let your crafting imagination run wild. For example, nail wooden rods together to form a rectangle and stretch sisal between them. Your peas will climb it like crazy.

When is pea harvest time?

Peas take between 3 and 4 months to mature. The earlier you harvest, the more tender and sweet the seeds will taste. This applies in particular to wrinkled peas and mangetout.

Green peas, which are mainly dried, remain in the bed longer. Only when the pods appear plump and firm are they mature.

tips and tricks

Preparation of the bed in the previous year is ideal for starting the cultivation of peas in the garden. If you enrich the soil with a well-measured portion of garden compost in autumn, the plants will thank you with vigorous, rapid growth.

Category:

Vegetable garden