How to plant and grow Green Peas

Peas are delicious, nutritious legumes that are not difficult to grow. There are peas for peeling and peas with edible pods, such as mangoes and snow peas. Everything is delicious and requires only a little care during planting and growing for a successful harvest. 

Family	Fabaceae
Growing zones	N/A
Growing season(s)	cool season: spring and fall
Spacing	3 inches
Start indoors or direct sow	direct sow
Indoor sowing date	N/A
Earliest outdoor planting	as soon as soil can be worked; 6 weeks before average last frost
Soil temperature	40° to 75° (optimum: 75°)
Fall planting	4 to 6 weeks before average first frost, snap peas only
Sun needs	6+ hours daily Water needs: moderate Harvest category: quick burst
Water needs	moderate
Preparation Tip	If you’re growing peas for shelling, you will need a lot of room to produce enough to make it worthwhile. A 25-foot row will yield about 1 quart of shelling peas. Snap peas require as little as one-tenth of the space shelling peas require.

 

Snapshot	Green peas can be grown as snow peas, snap peas, or shelling peas. They prefer cool weather and should be among the first vegetables you plant in the spring. Many varieties require a 3- to 5-foot trellis to support their delicate climbing habit.
Starting	Though you can start pea seeds indoors, they germinate fairly rapidly when sown directly in garden soil. Plant seeds 1 inch deep in a well-draining location; cool, soggy soil can lead to root rot and slow growth. Plant the seeds 1 to 2 inches apart, thinning to a final spacing of 2 to 4 inches apart.
Growing	Because peas are grown in the cool early spring, rainfall is generally sufficient. Place vertical supports in the garden area at planting to avoid disturbing the plant during its growth. Peas prefer horizontal support, such as twine tied between two posts, situated very close to the plants.
Harvesting and Storing	For snow and snap peas, harvest pods before they begin filling with seeds, and for shelling peas, harvest just after the pod swells. Peas are best when picked just before the pods lose their sheen. Refrigerate the pods promptly after picking them, because in heat the natural sugars quickly begin turning to starch.
Common Problem	Peas will stop flowering when air temperatures rise into the upper 80s Fahrenheit. Plan to get your plants into the ground early, in order to harvest them before heat sets in. Powdery mildew can also be a problem, because peas grow during warm days and cool nights, conditions ripe for the disease. Spray the plants with baking soda mixture (see here ) at the first sign of infection.