Spring Peas - Plant Early

By: Ron Cusano                   Feb. 17, 2009                            Vol. 2 Article 1005

     Several years ago, there was a wonderful early February thaw, where the temperature went up to around 70 degrees for a day or two.  It sure felt like Spring, and it kind of got the garden juices flowing. After a long, cold Winter, I couldn’t wait to get my hands into garden soil again. Although I know, according to conventional wisdom, that it was way too early to plant anything, and that Winter would soon be back with a vengeance. Nevertheless, I couldn’t resist the temptation.  I loosened the soil along the trellis in 2 of my 10 ft. raised beds, sprinkled on and turned in a little wood ashes and blood meal, and planted some peas, about 2” deep.  I then covered the seeded area with a few inches of grass clippings that over wintered in the compost pike.
     Sure enough, by the end of the week, the temperature was back down into the 20’s, and the following week we had several inches of snow and ice.  Hard Winter continued until the end of March, and I knew I could kiss my peas goodbye!
     In early April, as the days grew warmer and there were true signs of Spring everywhere, I decided to start preparing the garden beds for planting season, and getting in some cold weather crops right them.  Just for the heck of it, I pulled back that grass mulch, and planned to loosen up the soil again, and replant my peas. To my surprise, not only had my pea seed survived all of that cold and harsh weather, but they had germinated and were about 2” - 3” tall. So much for conventional wisdom! That was not only the earliest pea crop I ever had, but the best! Ever since, I have mad it a habit to get my peas planted, if not in February, then in early March, as soon as the soil can be worked.
     Peas like a slightly “sweet” soil, with a pH of 5.6 to 6.6, and a good amount of potash (potassium), and phosphorus.  I fertilize with bone meal for phosphorus, wood ashes to “sweeten” the soil and add potash, and a little blood meal for nitrogen.  You can soak your seeds for an hour before planting to hasten germination, and use a nitrogen inoculate to fix nitrogen into your soil. When most other gardeners are just planting their usual Summer crops, I am already harvesting a bounty of one of the gardens finest offerings.
     I plant about 20’ for trellis, and always have much more that I can eat.  This leaves plenty for future use. Some folks can their excess peas, and still others choose to blanch and freeze.  For many years not, I have just frozen excess peas, unblanched, and they keep great, with no loss of flavor or color.
     I have tried many different varieties over the years, with Green Arrow being one of my favorites. I prefer a tall pea vive to make picking easier, with a heavy crop of medium to small peas. This year I will be trying Premium, offered by Johnny’s Selected seeds. It is touted as having 30” vines, 2 1/2-3" pods with avg. 7-8 very sweet, medium-sized peas. These are very early, at 51 days to bloom and maturity.
     If you have “garden fever”, love sugar sweet garden peas, than you may want to consider putting on your overcoat, breaking out the hoe, and planting some peas right now!

Blessings,

Ron
“The Garden Guy”