The Pea Plant (Pisum sativum) is a versatile plant, boasting both climbing and dwarf variations. With careful cultivation, these plants can yield a plentiful harvest of garden peas, sugar snaps, or mange touts – tasty staples from nature’s larder.
One of the joys of nurturing pea plants is the potential for multiple harvests throughout the summer season, with careful timing of your sowing. This legume’s generous nature ensures a constant supply of this globally beloved side dish.
If you’re interested in exploring the taste difference between store-bought peas and flavorful home-grown varieties, stay tuned. We’re about to dive into some effective strategies for optimum pea plant growth.
Understanding the Pea Plant Growth Stages
Once your pea plants have taken root and begun their growth cycle, they’re pretty low maintenance. However, during unusually dry periods, a good watering will help keep them thriving.
Once they begin to flower, however, the need for water levels up. A thorough watering will help the emerging pods to swell and develop. Repeat this watering two weeks later to further assist the plant’s growth.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison provides an in-depth look at the various stages of a pea seedling’s development and here’s my in-depth pea plant life cycle guide.
1. Seed Germination: The First Stage
The pea plant’s journey starts with the seed’s germination, which typically occurs within 7-14 days of planting. Peas are a bit like Goldilocks: They don’t like to be transplanted as seedlings. They prefer to be planted directly in the soil where they will grow. The pea plants can get a bit fussy if their roots are disturbed during planting.
Choose a sunny location where your pea plants will bask in 4-5 hours of direct sunlight every day. If you’re eager to speed up the germination process, soak the peas in water overnight before planting. This simple step softens the outer shell and helps break the case sooner.
The best times to plant peas are in the fall or spring. This gives them enough time to grow before the hot summer months arrive. When you’re ready to plant the pea seeds, make rows that are 7 inches apart. Plant the peas 1 inch deep and 2 inches apart in well-drained soil. Make sure there’s enough space for a trellis or frame for the peas to climb.
When selecting the location for the peas, remember to consider the height of the climbing frame. You wouldn’t want it to block the light to other plants when the peas are fully grown.
Pea plants are pretty resilient and can begin germination in temperatures ranging from 40-70°F. However, if the soil is cooler than 40 degrees, the peas may rot and disintegrate, so keep an eye on your thermometer.
2. From Seedlings to Mature Pea Plants
As the germination process concludes, your peas will start to sprout stems and their maiden set of leaves. This stage often sees many garden enthusiasts grow and harvest pea shoots as microgreens, providing a visually pleasing garnish for meals.
As your peas flourish, the vine elongates and starts to produce tendrils. These thin, long appendages are like the plant’s arms, wrapping around supportive structures. Here’s a friendly tip: ensure you have a sturdy structure in place for your peas to latch onto. Remember, pea leaves grow upwards, gradually unfurling from the center as they bask in sunlight.
Most pea varieties will require some form of vertical support or brace to aid their upward scramble once the seedlings make their appearance. Chicken wire or netting affixed to a wooden post can provide sufficient support for taller specimens. Bear in mind that the more colossal plants can reach up to 6 feet in height and become top-heavy. Therefore, it’s crucial to have a sturdy support structure to withstand windy conditions.
For smaller varieties, inserting pea sticks or twiggy stems between plants can ensure stability. And don’t forget to place a thick layer of garden compost around the base of your plants or seedlings. This practice helps maintain soil moisture and deters weed growth, ensuring your peas have the best environment to thrive.
3. The Blooming Stage: Flowering and Pollination
After 4-6 weeks of vine growth, your peas will enter the flowering stage. Peas are an ideal cool-season crop, needing no more than 70°F (21°C) to flower. They can even withstand temperatures as low as 50F (10°C) and are resilient against light frost.
The location of the flowers will depend on the variety of peas you’re cultivating. For instance, vining types like Super Sugar Snap will produce blooms at the leaf’s axles. On the other hand, bush-type peas, such as Dwarf Gray Sugar, will flower at the branch’s end.
During the blooming period, peas require little to no fertilizer, unless you’ve grown them in containers. A 5-10-10 fertilizer can provide a beneficial boost. With a composition low in nitrogen and high in potassium and phosphate, this fertilizer aids the flowering process.
However, be cautious about using rotted manure or high-nitrogen fertilizer at this stage. These can encourage foliage growth instead of flowering, which is not ideal. And here’s a fun fact: peas are self-pollinating, meaning they don’t need any assistance from insects to transfer pollen.
While we’re on the subject of edibles, did you know that almost all parts of the pea plants are edible? So go ahead and garnish your dishes with these decorative flowers!
Once the flowers have wilted, self-pollination will occur, leading to the formation of pea pods.
4. Ripe for the Picking: The Fruiting and Harvesting Process
One of the most satisfying aspects of cultivating pea plants is the promise of multiple harvest seasons.
Your first harvest, often termed ‘first earlies’, should be ready about 12 weeks post-sowing. The ‘second earlies’ follow suit at around 13-14 weeks, and the main crops are ready for reaping between 14-16 weeks after sowing.
A crucial point to remember during harvesting: pick your peas regularly. If not, your pea plants may halt pod production. If you’re fortunate to have a bountiful crop, make sure to pick all peas instead of leaving any on the plants.
When it comes to the best time to harvest the mange touts and sugar snap peas varieties, aim for when the pods reach approximately 7.5 cm (3 inches) long. At this stage, the peas are just beginning to mature. Start from the bottom and work your way up, as pea pod development starts at the lower end of the plants.
If your taste buds are craving pea shoots (a delicious addition to your stir fry or salad), pick these from the tips of the younger plants. A word of caution here, though: avoid taking too many shoots from each plant as it could potentially hinder cropping.
After a flowering period of 5-8 days, peas will start to set their pods. This process takes about 8-12 weeks from planting. The pods form from the flower’s center, and the petals will drop, leaving the sepal to cling to the vine.
If you’re growing shell pea varieties such as garden peas, harvest when the pods have swelled and taken on a cylindrical shape.
Conversely, if you’re cultivating peas that are sugar snap or have an edible pod, they can be reaped when they’ve reached 2-3 inches in length or before the seeds begin to swell.
Leaving the peas on the vine will lead them to their final life stage, where the pods dry out, drop off the vine, and release new peas into the ground. It’s not a bad idea to leave a few pods on the vine for this purpose – you’ll have a supply of seeds for the following season.
Your peas will continue to produce flowers and pods while you’re harvesting, so remember: the more you pick, the more they grow! The seeds saved from this crop have adapted to your garden’s climate and conditions, making them more resilient than store-bought ones.
Pea Plant Growth Cycle FAQs
Finding the Perfect Time: When to Plant Peas?
Peas have a reputation for being simple to grow, but timing is crucial. To ensure they can fully develop while the weather is still cool, aim to plant them early in the spring. The months of February, March, or April typically offer the ideal conditions for pea planting.
Providing Support: Do Pea Plants Need a Trellis?
Climbing pea plants can easily reach heights of 6-8 feet, necessitating some form of support. A sturdy trellis or similar structure will keep your pea plants upright and stable. Without this, the stems may bow towards the ground, risking your crop’s productivity.
Harvesting Your Crop: How to Tell When Your Peas are Ready
Once your pea plants have flowered, it’s time to keep a close eye on the forming pods. The optimal harvest time can vary depending on the pea variety you’re cultivating. Here’s a quick guide to some of the differences:
- Snow Peas – These feature edible pods that should be harvested before they start to swell with peas inside.
- Snap Peas – Also boasting edible pods, these peas should be harvested when the pods are plump, glossy, and the peas inside have rounded out.
- Garden Peas (grown for shelling) – Harvest these when the pods have elongated into a cylindrical shape and before they take on a waxy texture.
There are also some universal signs that your peas are ready for harvesting, regardless of the variety:
- The peas inside the pod should be touching.
- Pods should have a crisp texture.
- When squeezed, the pods should feel firm.
- The color should be a vibrant to dark green, indicating peak freshness.
If your peas have been left on the vine too long, their pods will turn yellow and lose their glossiness. While not ideal for eating, these peas can be saved and used as seeds for the next year’s crop.
Your Guide to Growing Peas: Timeline and Troubleshooting
Peas are a popular crop among home gardeners, and for good reason. They’re relatively easy to grow, versatile in the kitchen, and can even help improve the quality of your soil. But how long does it take for peas to grow? Let’s dive in.
Pea Growth Timeline: From Seed to Harvest
Most varieties of peas will be ready for harvest approximately 60 days after planting. This is under the condition that the temperatures do not exceed 85°F, as peas cease to grow and produce flowers in hotter weather. If you’ve planted your peas in spring, you can usually expect them to stop producing around June.
Also, keep in mind that peas planted in partial shade will grow slower than those in full sunlight. So, if you’re aiming for the quickest crop, make sure your peas are getting plenty of sun.
If you’re planning to grow peas in the fall, you can expect the harvest time to be slightly longer, around 70-80 days. For mid-season crops, the timeline would be somewhere between 60 to 70 days before harvest.
Common Pea Plant Problems (And How to Solve Them)
Growing peas can be a rewarding experience, but it’s not without its challenges. Here are some common problems you might encounter and how to address them:
- Seeds not germinating: This could be due to the soil temperature. Ensure your soil is between 65-70°F for optimal germination within 7-12 days. If soil temperature isn’t the issue, you might have seed corn maggots or cabbage grubs in the soil. To avoid these, wait to plant until the weather is drier, as these pests thrive in damp conditions.
- Cutworm infestation: These grey grubs live under the soil and can damage the roots, leaves, and stems of your pea plants. To protect your plants, use wood ash around the base or a paper collar to prevent them from reaching the stem.
- Root and crown rot: If your plants are showing stunted growth, dull-colored vines, and absent roots, you might be dealing with root rot. This issue usually arises from poor drainage, so consider amending your soil for better results.
- Aphid infestation: These tiny pests leave a trail of honeydew behind as they drain the nutrients from your plants. Regularly check your plants for aphids and use a diluted solution of neem oil and soap to control their numbers.
- Leaf miner larvae: If you notice tunnel-like formations on the surfaces of your leaves, you may be dealing with leaf miner larvae. To get rid of them, destroy the affected leaves and turn over the soil to prevent the larvae from hatching.
Wrapping Up: Your Path to a Bountiful Pea Harvest
Growing a successful crop of peas requires attention to soil temperature, sunlight, and watering. Plus, you’ll need to provide something for the peas to climb on to prevent them from becoming a tangled mess on the ground.
Remember, peas are excellent nitrogen fixers, so consider this when choosing a planting location. And don’t forget to save some seeds for the next growing season.
With these tips in mind, you’re well on your way to harvesting a big, delicious bowl of homegrown peas.
