Sugar snap peas are descended from the pea, which has the scientific name Pisum sativum. With this variety, the skin of the fruit is edible due to its crunchy and soft consistency and the fresh aroma. Successful cultivation requires knowledge of growth.
Sugar snap peas should be harvested when the pods are still tender and young
vegetable season
Sugar snap peas are available in supermarkets all year round, with their season lasting two to three months. In winter, the vegetables come from African or American growing regions. During the late spring and summer months you will receive imported goods from Europe, which will be offered at the same time as strawberries and asparagus.
In the garden
Depending on the variety, you can harvest sweet peas 75 to 95 days after sowing. The harvest season in the garden usually starts in June and depends on the choice of variety and the weather conditions. A pea plant provides yields over two to three weeks.
Grow sugar snap peas
Sugar peas are weak consumers and are therefore well suited as a pre-culture. They are considered undemanding and easy to care for. Water the plants carefully during the growth phase, because excessive watering causes excessive leaves to form. In long periods of drought, watering makes sense so that the pods do not harden prematurely. Fertilizers are not necessary.
Early sowing increases fruiting
Sugar snap peas are suitable for direct sowing outdoors from April. The long-day plants take advantage of spring with cool conditions to develop leaf mass. As soon as the length of the day exceeds a certain number of hours, the flowers develop. High harvest days require long periods of light and short periods of darkness, so growing during the summer is not recommended.
Sow in the bed
The seeds germinate after about ten days when the soil temperature is between five and eight degrees. Lower temperatures quickly lead to the formation of rot. Thorough loosening of the soil creates optimal growth conditions. Improve the substrate with compost. A trellis is necessary so that the climbing plants find stability.
Notes on cultivation:
- Sow in rows
- Place seeds in grooves two to three centimeters deep
- keep a distance of five centimetres
How to harvest
The more often you harvest a plant, the more pods it will develop. If you let the legumes fully mature, the crop will stop producing. After harvesting, cut off the plant parts close to the ground and leave the roots in the ground. They provide the soil with nitrogen.
Watch for the right harvest time
When the fruit pods are fresh green in color and still tender, they are harvested. They have reached their optimum degree of ripeness when the seeds, which are still white and soft, show through under the skin. The earlier you start harvesting, the more aromatic and sweeter the pods will taste.
tips
You should eat the harvest straight away, because the sugar turns into starch during storage. This makes the snow peas increasingly bitter.