Peas can be grown outside from March provided the grown is
dry enough to work with, but you are not too late to plant start if you haven’t
already done so.
Sow the peas in a drill about a 1” deep and about 3” apart. Drills,
if doing more than one should be spaced the same distance apart as their
eventual height (so if they grow 28” high, put drills 28” apart). They will
sprout in about 7 days. When about 2” tall you will need to put in supports for
them to climb up, unless you a plant dwarf variety. Twiggy branches (some
people like to use chicken-wire as well) would do the trick. For best results a
good well composted soil is required. Soil should have been dug over in autumn
with well composted farmyard or garden compost. A general multipurpose
fertiliser can be added to the plot about 2-3 weeks before you start planting.
Your crop will be ready to pick in about 12 weeks, pick the pods when almost
full and peas are almost touching but before they start to go hard.
There are many varieties of peas to choose from. I’m using Hurst
Greenshaft. It has good resistance to mildew and pea wilt. It also crops well,
giving 10 wrinkled peas per pod (pods depending on variety will give anything
from 4 -12). Another benefit is that it makes for easy picking as its pods are
produced on only the top 12” of the 30” plant.
I’ve started mine off in pots in the glasshouse and will
spread the resulting plants between glasshouse and garden and compare results
with you later! So far it encouraging, with nearly all pots showing signs of life and
doing well. Hurst Greenshaft produce a lovely sweet tasting pea which freezes
well and as with all pea varieties, benefit from continuous picking to prolong
fruiting period.
Happy Gardening, and let me know how you get on with
whatever variety you chose.
