As the snow melts and the water saturated ground drains, we are anxious to plant out our pea starts. They are looking good and the cold weather does not seem to have threatened their health. For those who might be planting peas there is a chart below that you might find useful. On that chart, *LFD=Last frost date and *FFD= First frost date. For Willits, LFD is usually May 15 and FFD is usually October 15.

Peas (Pisum
sativum)

Family: Leguminosae or Fabacea

Temperature:

• For
  germination: 40°F-70°F
• For
  growth: 60°F-65°F

--Soil and Water Needs--

pH: 6.0-7.5

Fertilizer: Light feeder. When inoculated, peas are nitrogen
fixing and need low nitrogen. Apply liquid seaweed 2-3 times per season.

Side Dressing: When vines are about 6” tall, apply compost
or an amendment high in P and K, and light on N.

Water: Low initially,
heavy after bloom, shallow watering is said to increase germination.

--Measurements--

Planting Depth: 1” or ½”- ¾”

Root Depth: Shallow to 3’

Height: Garden Peas: 21”-4’; Snap Peas: 4’-6’;

Breadth: 6”-10”

Space Between Plants:

• In
  beds: 2”-4”
• In
  rows: 1”-3”

Space Between Rows: 18”-48”

--Grow Biointensive Measurements--

Space Between Plants:

• In
  Beds:
  • Bush
    Peas: 3”
  • Pole
    Peas: 4”

Maximum Number of Plants per 100 Square Feet:

• Bush
  Peas: 2507
• Pole
  Peas: 1343

--Threats and Interactions--

Pests: More problems affect seedlings: aphid, cabbage
looper, cabbage maggot, corn earworm, corn maggot, cucumber beetle, cutworm,
garden webworm, pale-stripped flea beetle, seedcorn maggot, slug, snail,
thrips, webworm, weevil, wireworm.

Diseases: Bacterial blight, downy mildew, nation mosaic,
fusarium wilt, leaf curl, powdery mildew, root rot, seed rot.

Allies: Some evidence of tomato. Uncertain: Brassicas,
caraway, carrot, chive, goldenrod, mint, turnip.

Companions: All beans, coriander, corn, cucumber, radish,
spinach.

Incompatibilities: Garlic, corn, potato.

Planting:

First Seed-Starting Date:
(Plant every 10 days in case of poor germination)

Last Seed-Starting Date:

Harvest notes: If a plant has only a few peas on it, pinch
the growing tip to encourage further fruiting. When pea pods are plump, crisp,
and before they begin to harden or fade in color, harvest them with one clean
cut. Sugar snaps are best picked when plump and filled out. Harvest snow peas
when the pods are young and peas under developed. Pick peas everyday for continuous
production. Pea shoots, the last 4”-6” can be harvested for stir-fry dishes and
salads.

Storage Requirements: Blanch shelled regular peas and whole
snap and snow peas before freezing. When stored at 32°F at 95%-100% humidity,
peas will last for 1-2 weeks.

Sources:

Denckla, Tanya., The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic
Food., Storey Publishing © 2003., pp.112-115.

Jeavons, John., How to Grow More Vegetables* 7^th
Edition., Ten Speed Press © 2006., pp. 90-95.