Get Ready for Planting Peas in Late Winter/ Early Spring:
Indoors, Ground and Containers!
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| Pea Leaves in Salads |
I once believed you needed to start peas in the ground because they didn't transplant well. That is a myth. You can start them in seed cells. Just transplant them to outdoor containers or the ground fairly quickly once they break the surface of the cell, get an inch tall and get acclimated to the outdoors. You just don't want their roots out growing the cells. You might do this in the early spring to speed up germination and to have more successful germination. Cold ground and rain can lead to seeds succumbing to molds and fungus in the earth beds.
Seed Starting Peas Indoors
Growing Peas from Transplants: It Works!
Transplant peas work. I actually moved my seeds started in cells to cups and started some seeds directly in cups. You might notice the roots got a bit over grown in the video. You want to get them in 5 gallon containers or the ground before the roots start circling in the bottom of the cups. They are a bit forgiving so you don't have to be perfect. It works!
I found growing late winter/early spring peas works well in containers. I also put them in the ground. A 5 gallon bucket can hold 3,4,5,6,7 or 8 pea plants. It really depends on the variety and on your preference. Container soil should be loose and fresh. You don't need to overdue fertilizing as peas can fix their own nitrogen but a little added phosphorous and potassium won't hurt. The nitrogen number doesn't have to be high. Just plant them about 1 inch deep and drop in a tomato cage for a trellis. You can even make a trellis from poles.
Planting Peas in Containers
The idea is figuring out how many pods you can get per container based on the characteristics of that pea variety. For example, say your variety will give you 100 pods if grown as a single plant in a 5 gallon container. If you grow 2 plants, in the same container, they compete a bit for moisture and resources and each plant only gives 90 pods. The total of 180 pods, per container, is more than 1 plant would have given you. If you put in 5 plants you might get smaller plants and only 60 pods per plant but that is 300 pods per container. Just something to keep in mind.
Harvesting Container Peas and Plant Numbers
There are basically 3 types of peas you see in your local stores. They are sugar pod, snap or sugar snap and standard peas. Or how I like to define them... flat edible pods with tiny peas for stir-fry or salads, edible pods with full size peas and peas that have to be shelled. All varieties can be enjoyed fresh from the vine. You have not tasted a pea until you have grown them yourself. The sugar content is amazing.
An Attempt to Explain 3 Types of Peas
Peas don't need a lot of fertilizing. I like giving my container plants a 1/2 strength liquid fertilizer. Peas will fix their own nitrogen if they share the soil with rhizobium bacteria. The problem with container soil it is often void of good micro-organisms so you really need to feed them or inoculate them with rhizobium bacteria. As I mentioned your peas need to be trellised up a cage or sticks and string. They have hollow stems and are very fragile. They will break, if left dangling over the edge of a container.
What Does Inoculating Peas Mean
Trellising and Fertilizing Container Peas
The key to growing first crop peas in the ground is about 45 degree nights and minimal rain. They love the cool weather but germinate best in 45+ degree weather with soil that is not overly saturated. That can be tough in some gardens come late winter. You could plant acclimated transplants.
I plant seeds 1 inch deep and 2, 3 or 4 inches apart for the same reasons I mention when planting container peas. You can also plant them 1 inch apart if you think you will have germination issues. It is always better to plant more and thin versus waiting.and only getting a few seeds that germinate.
The most important thing is to protect them from is rabbits. I use a chicken wire cage. And the second most important thing, because you won't have them if the rabbits get them... is a trellis. They need to grow upright. There are many ways to make a trellis.
And remember... even puppies like peas.
A Simple Ground Pea Trellis
I love peas! Can't wait to eat mine. I start them indoors in long paper pots (I use phone book paper and one of those wooden paper pot makers) that way I don't need to pot up before they go outside. I start my beans this way too.I also love growing them for shoots to add to my salad, which you can do any time of year- they taste just like a pea too- my favorite variety for this is dwarf grey. Happy growing!
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