How and when are peas planted?

The pea has a white flower

Peas are one of the most widely consumed vegetables, and one of the easiest to grow. The seeds only need moisture to germinate, something they will do in a matter of a few days. In addition, they have a very fast growth rate, so much so that their fruits will be ready to be collected two or three months after planting.

So if you feel like growing a beginner-friendly plant, start with them. Read on to know how and when peas are planted.

When are peas planted

Peas are legume plants

The best time to plant peas is in the fall, although being such a fast growing herb it can be sown without problems also in spring. To do this, what we have to do is prepare the garden ground, removing the stones and wild herbs that may be growing.

Next, we will proceed to sow the seeds in rows, leaving about 50cm apart and covering them with a 3-4cm layer of soil. In the case that we have planted varieties of enrame, we have to put a support so they can climb, such as rods, stakes or iron rods.

Once they are sown, We will water them well by starting the drip irrigation systemor. Keeping the soil always humid (but not flooded), we will get the seeds to germinate in a maximum period of one week, which will be the moment when we can start fertilizing them by throwing around them a 2-3cm thick layer of organic fertilizers, such as Worm castings or horse manure for example.

Thus, they will be able to grow healthy and strong until the moment of their harvest, which will be about 12-14 weeks after planting. As we can see, there is very little time we will have to wait to be able to taste them.

It is clear that if you are going to plant the peas before the fall season, you must take into account the type of pests that can damage itBeing the caterpillars, one of the most dangerous.

It is also important to take into account the area where it is going to be planted, since in the interior areas, when the peas are sown later, much better.

And if you are wondering why this it's mostly because of the frost, since these can be very intense, thus spoiling our cultivation, something that no one finds funny.

It is best to take into account the last frost of spring, so that the best sowing date can be calculated, since peas are not resistant to frost once they are in bloom or with whole pods. In mid-February a sowing in cold areas is possible to be successful.

Types of planting peas

Sowing peas in dry land

Dry peas it is the type of planting that is very profitable, thanks to the fact that it does not require a lot of fertilizer or nitrogen contributions, although it does have to take great care of pests, which will require the use of fungicides.

Very little information is known today about rainfed peas, although what is known is that have more hectares of these peas it may not be the best, as there is a risk of weeds growing if the soil is not well soaked with seeds.

There are several options for growing peas in dry land, although most are between the month of December and February. The pea cycle as such is short, so if a sowing is done early, it could be affected by a late frost, thus causing the loss of production. The peas obtained from the dry land tend to yield much more because they have not been subjected to large amounts of water in the irrigation.

Sowing peas soak

The pea plant grows fast

If you want to plant peas, it is best to soak the seeds overnight and before you go to sow them, since with this procedure you can ensure that they will have good germination.

Then, make some grooves in the ground, where they have holes in each of these and whose depth is not greater than 3 cm. These holes must be made every 20 cm in length.

In each of the holes made, you have to sow at least three or four seeds and cover it with a little mulch, pressing the earth so that it is compact with these and proceed to water it so that they cannot be exposed.

For the risk, it will only be necessary that with your hand you take some water and sprinkle it over the place where you sowed the seeds, which may well be a seedbed. Depending on the variety of the seeds used in planting and the freshness of these, You will be able to see the first shoots between 2 and 10 days.

When the seeds have already given seedlings with a height of at least 8 cmYou will have to transplant them, trying not to mistreat the roots. If these become a little tangled, carefully cut them and place each seedling 15 cm apart.

For plantations that have been planted on land with high nutrient content, it will not be necessary to use fertilizers when the peas have been planted.

How to plant peas?

When the peas are in full growth phase, you need to help them to be favored by exposure to the sun, in addition to having the ventilation they need. This process is called mentoring.

With good guidance from peas, you will ensure that these develop properlya, so you have to keep in mind that you must drive a stake when the first shoots show up so that they can grow.

As time passes and the plant rises, it will have more dry branches, so you should put some rods or wires, so that it continues to grow vertically.

If you do not have a cane available, you can also build a mesh with wire mesh so that from there the plant can become entangled and continue to grow. You just have to keep in mind that some varieties can reach 60 cm in height, but these do not require any structure to support them.

What is the vegetative cycle of the pea?

Peas are easy to grow

Unlike other crops, the pea plantation has a fairly fast vegetative cycle, since it only takes between 3 and 3 and a half months to flower or fructify.

Therefore, peas are grown for tender consumption, green although it can also be harvested to obtain all the nutrients from these, collecting it and keeping it dry.

Depending on the harvest time they have, they may be more or less tender and you can collect it directly from the bush early March. Later, you will find pods with fuller and rounder peas, having to give several revisions to the plantation, until they finish bearing fruit.

Depending on the variety of pea that you have in plantation, will have to take before these swell, except in those varieties that are going to be used for purees.


Be the first to comment

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*

  1. Responsible for the data: Miguel Ángel Gatón
  2. Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
  3. Legitimation: Your consent
  4. Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  5. Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
  6. Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.