Peas are one of the earliest vegetables one can grow in the garden.  Tasty green pods dangling from trellised vines can be eaten raw right off the plant or added to a stir-fry.

By Mara Higdon

(This article first was published in The Gateway Gardener March 2013 issue.)

Peas are one of the earliest vegetables one can grow in the garden.  Tasty green pods dangling from trellised vines can be eaten raw right off the plant or added to a stir-fry.

Here in Missouri, growing peas is relatively easy. Peas grow well in cold weather and will thrive in our turbulent spring.

You should plant your peas 4-6 weeks before the first frost.  So start NOW!  Begin loosening the soil by forking in compost. This will allow the germinating seeds to more easily breakthrough the soil.  Plant your peas about 1 inch apart, 1-2 inches deep, in rows that are 6-8 inches apart.  The close spacing will provide structural support for the peas as they grow taller.  You can set up a simple structure to support the vines as they grow taller using 5-6 foot stakes in an upside-down V formation and string.  Set this up after you plant the peas. Due to the delicate nature of the vines it is difficult not to damage the vines to set up a trellis once they are more established.

Occasionally, the peas will rot if the ground is too wet.  If you see gaps in your germinating pea plants, go ahead and plant another pea in the gap and it will catch up with the rest.  Side dress the peas once they reach 5-6 inches high.  Peas fix nitrogen in their roots as they grow, so there is no need to add any extra fertilizer.  As the peas grow, they should naturally travel up the string trellis you have provided for them.  Make sure that they get about 1/2 inch of water a week, but don’t water log them.  The pea pods will begin to form once the flowers have set. Pods will be harvested 3-4 weeks after the flowers appear. Early young snap pea pods can be harvested and are best eaten raw or added to fresh dishes such as salads or they can be left on the vine.  If left on the vine, the snap peas inside the pods will plump up and take on a more traditional pea shape.  These can be harvest and eaten, but have a heartier skin that holds up better in cooked dishes.  Snow pea pods should be harvested when they are young and tender for best taste.  Harvest the pods carefully and take care not to yank on the vines.

The pea plants will continue to flower and produce pea pods until the weather begins to warm up in the spring.  Once temperatures reach 65-70 degrees they slow down and the pea pods begin to toughen.  At this point, you can remove the pea plants by cutting at soil level just above the roots.  By doing this, the nitrogen fixed in the roots will remain and benefit the next crop that is planted in that area of your garden.  You can shell the pods and dry the peas inside for two weeks in a warm dry place for use the following year.

A few varieties to try are Cascadia Snap Peas (Dwarf – 2 ft tall), Super Snap Peas, Sugar Daddy Snap Pea (two pods produced on a node), Snowbird Snow Peas (very early producer), Mammoth Melting Snow Pea (high yields over longer period of time).

Mara Higdon is Program Director at Gateway Greening, Inc. They focus on community development through gardening throughout the St. Louis area. You can reach her at 314-588-9600.