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A field journal of theHouse&Hedgehome & garden, kept in ink
Entry 106 · vegetable

Peas

Pisum sativum · Fabaceae
full sunwater every 3 to 9 dayseasycats not known · dogs not known
Add to my plants
In brief
Lightfull sun
WaterEvery 3 days in the growing season, every 9 in winter
PetsCats not known, dogs not known

Pet safety not established for this species.

Edible here means commonly eaten. Nothing on this site is medical or dietary advice.

Peas want cool weather and a support to climb, and they give up quickly when it turns hot, which is why they are a spring crop in the north and an autumn to winter crop through much of the southern hemisphere. Sow them direct into ground that is not too rich; they fix their own nitrogen and a generous feed gives you a hedge with no pods. Give them something to hold from the moment they germinate, netting or twiggy sticks, because a pea that flops is a pea that mildews. Pick constantly once they start: every pod left to swell tells the plant its work is done and stops the flowering. Mangetout and sugar snap types crop over a longer season than shelling peas and waste nothing.

Ailments observed

White powder on the leavesPowdery mildew in dry soil and still air. Water the roots well, mulch, and give the row space. Late sowings mildew worst.
It will not flowerToo much nitrogen, or too little sun. Stop feeding and move them into full sun. Peas fed with a nitrogen rich feed make foliage instead of pods.

Filed underPlants that forgive a beginner

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