Planting peas: how to properly plant seeds in open ground and in a greenhouse in the spring, sowing scheme, caring for them in the garden, video

Author: Elena N. https://floristics.info/ru/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=19 Category: Garden plants Published: February 05, 2016Last edits: January 06, 2021

Pea care

Growing conditions

Watering

Top dressing

Garter peas

Pests and diseases

Treatment

Cleaning and storage

Types and varieties

Hulling (Pisum sativum convar. sativum) varieties

Brain (Pisum sativum convar. medullare) varieties

Sugar (Pisum sativum convar. axiphium) varieties

Literature

Comments

plant (lat. Pisum) belongs to the genus of herbaceous plants of the Legume family. The homeland of peas is South-West Asia, where it has been cultivated since time immemorial. Green peas contain carotene (provitamin A), vitamin C, PP, B vitamins, as well as manganese, phosphorus, potassium and iron salts. The pea vegetable is a source of lysine, one of the most deficient amino acids. In modern culture, three varieties of peas are grown: fodder, grain and vegetable - an annual self-pollinating plant that can develop quickly. Peas are in demand not only as a source of vegetable protein and other useful substances, but also as green manure - the best precursor for any other garden crop.

Selecting a location, preparing soil and beds for planting

Vegetable peas are divided into sugar and shelling peas. These species differ in whether they use whole pods or only ripe peas for food. At the dacha, sugar varieties are most often planted, but from the point of view of agricultural technology, this is not important; at least, planting any type of pea is carried out almost the same way. Growing this useful vegetable crop is not a problem even for a novice gardener.

Peas are a cold-resistant plant, and they begin to sow them as soon as the ground thaws at least a little after winter, so the bed must be prepared in the fall: in the spring at this time, digging up the plot is still very difficult. The bed can be the smallest size, there can even be several of them, in the most unnecessary areas, but it should be a well-lit place by the sun: in partial shade, peas will also grow, but the yield will be somewhat reduced. It is very good to sow early sugar peas along the paths, where children will be happy to pick them without trampling the plantings.

It is advisable to make a convenient approach for the children to the pea patch

Since peas are sown very densely, they very soon grow into a sort of “forest”; their stems are entwined with grown weeds, and it is not possible to weed them. Therefore, even the most wasteful area must be cleared of weeds, at least perennial ones, in advance. Peas love soils of average composition: loamy and sandy loam. The soil should be moderately fertilized, but peas do not require a lot of nitrogen fertilizers: they provide themselves with this element, extracting it from everywhere and being considered a nitrogen accumulator.

It is best to apply manure (a bucket per 1 m2) under the predecessor, and in the fall dig up a bed for peas with the addition of 20–40 g of superphosphate and 10–20 g of any potash fertilizer. You can replace this mixture with a liter jar of wood ash. If you apply manure directly to planting peas, the bushes grow greatly, branch out, produce crops late, and sometimes become diseased. The best soils in terms of acidity are slightly acidic or neutral; in case of excessive acidity, they are preliminarily limed.

Useful properties of the culture

Peas are often called plant meat due to the large amount of plant protein. The vegetable is distinguished by a high concentration of B vitamins, contains vitamins C, PP, E, A, K. It is also rich in the following microelements: potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, selenium. They play a key role in many processes occurring in the body, and their deficiency can lead to serious diseases. For example, potassium and magnesium provide essential assistance for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system , phosphorus strengthens vision, and strong stimulates brain function.

There is a high content of folic acid, which is responsible for the formation of red blood cells. It helps normalize hematopoiesis and is also required during pregnancy to prevent abnormal fetal development.

REFERENCE sprouts . They normalize blood sugar levels and remove toxins from the body.

Peas have a low glycemic index, making them a healthy vegetable for diabetics. Fiber reduces the rate of carbohydrate absorption and helps intestinal function. Antioxidants in combination with vitamins A and E protect cells from destruction, contributing to the fight against cardiovascular diseases and preventing the development of cancer. At the same time contraindications for eating peas, apart from individual intolerance.

Predecessors of peas during planting

Peas are not a fussy plant, and they can be sown after almost any vegetables. The best predecessors are considered to be any pumpkin crops (cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins), as well as all types of cabbage and potatoes. The pea itself, as well as its related beans, is the best precursor for most known vegetables.

You should not grow peas in one place for several years in a row: the soil after it should be occupied by other crops for 3-4 years. Peas should not be planted after any type of beans.

Which neighbors to choose

Due to the fact that peas enrich the soil with nitrogen that is easily accessible to other plants, they are considered a friendly neighbor that is compatible with most garden and garden crops. It is practiced to plant several bushes among other plants. The exceptions are onions, garlic, beans and other varieties of peas.

The composition of the soil is favorably influenced by neighboring cucumbers and carrots. If you plant herbs or tomatoes nearby, you don’t have to worry about the invasion of most pests. The pea codling moth is afraid of mustard. Corn can be used as a natural support. Peas grow quickly next to cabbage, potatoes, lettuce, dill and parsley. This proximity has a good effect not only on the development of shoots, but also on the taste of the fruit.

Preparing seeds for planting

Peas are often sown with seeds from their own harvest, since by the end of fruiting, interest in them disappears and many unharvested pods remain, which ripen to full condition. This is normal practice in most cases, unless the peas sown were a hybrid (F1): in this case, you can get a completely different harvest than you expected. Often peas are planted with dry, freshly purchased seeds, but it is better to spend a little time preparing them for sowing.

Seed rejection

Even in purchased pea seeds, which are in beautiful bags, there are a small number of unsuitable specimens, and in those grown on your own plot there may be even more of them. Therefore, it is useful to reject the unsuitable ones in advance. Self-harvested peas should be checked for damage: they are often visited by the moth. Such seeds are riddled with holes, inside which you can find traces of pests and even small worms.

You can sort out such seeds manually, sorting them out one by one, but it will be much faster to pour the seeds into salt water (a tablespoon per liter) and wait a couple of minutes. Frail and infected seeds will not sink; they must be collected and discarded. Drowned - rinse with water and dry. After this, you can sow them, but it is better to continue preparation if there is still a little time left before sowing.

Checking seeds for germination

Pea seeds are suitable for sowing for 5–6 years, but only if properly stored, if they are not periodically damp. Therefore, in doubtful cases, it is advisable to check them for germination, and do this in winter, so that if unsuccessful, you have time to buy fresh seeds of the desired variety. For peas, germination is considered good if 9 out of 10 seeds are suitable.

Pea seeds usually germinate easily, but sowing them with roots is very inconvenient

Checking germination is very simple: a dozen seeds are soaked in water for a couple of hours, after which they are transferred to a damp cloth. Place this mini-garden in any container and cover loosely with a lid. Twice a day, check whether the fabric remains damp and add water if necessary.

The peas hatch within a few days, and after a week everything becomes clear: if only one pea has not sprouted, that’s great; two or three are tolerable. If you have sprouted less than five tails, it is better to buy new seeds. Although, if there are a lot of old ones, you can sow them too, only with a reserve, twice as thick as usual.

Is it necessary to soak and germinate seeds?

It is not recommended to soak and germinate pea seeds before sowing. This is especially true for the most delicious and popular brain peas. What is this connected with? Yes, most vegetables sprout better if they are sown with sprouted seeds. But the fact is that peas are sown very early, in cold soil. If it is sown with ungerminated seeds, they will simply wait until the threat of severe frost has passed: somehow the seeds sense this. But if the soil temperature drops below 4 ° C, the young roots of sprouted peas die, and after this the seeds rot.

It makes sense to sow soaked peas only if the early planting dates are hopelessly missed, and you want to get the harvest as soon as possible. If the gardener is sure that the cold will not return and the soil has warmed up enough, then you can put the seeds on a saucer and add water so that it only covers the peas. Soaking time is about 12 hours, and during this period you need to change the water 4-5 times.

The peas will become saturated with water and swell, but this procedure will shorten the time of emergence by a maximum of two days, and only if the soil is moist enough. You should not germinate seeds in the classical sense of the word, that is, until the tails appear: they will be much more difficult to sow, and this will not give a significant gain.

Video: sowing sprouted peas

Seed treatment before sowing

To make the germination of seeds in the garden bed more friendly, they can be warmed up dry near the radiator, placing them next to it in any rag bag for one and a half to two hours. Chemical treatment may be required to prevent the occurrence of diseases if they have ever occurred on the site, but ordinary gardeners almost never do this.

In large agricultural enterprises, peas are pre-treated, for example, with formaldehyde.

Some gardeners before sowing (not in the early stages!) treat the seeds with various preparations containing biologically active substances. In this way, they try to support plants in difficult climatic conditions or slightly increase productivity. Among the most popular drugs are Epin and Humate (drugs with stimulating, adaptogenic and anti-stress effects). Sometimes microfertilizers (zinc, molybdenum, cobalt preparations) are used when preparing seeds. If you do such work, you must do it very carefully, not exceeding the dosage prescribed in the instructions for the chemicals.

Pests and diseases

The insect enemies of peas are the pea moth, leaf roller, cabbage cutworm and garden cutworm. Cutworms, like cutworms, lay eggs on pea leaves. The hatched cutworm caterpillars eat the ground parts of the plants, and the leaf roller larvae, feeding on the leaves, wrap themselves in them. Codling moth butterflies lay eggs on the fruits, leaves and flowers of peas, which literally within a week become food for the larvae.

Diseases that are dangerous for peas are mosaic and powdery mildew. Mosaic is a viral disease that cannot be cured, but it can be avoided by following the agricultural practices of the species and crop rotation, as well as properly processing the seed before planting. The first signs of the disease are slow growth and curling of leaves, as well as the appearance of teeth on their edges. Later, necrotic spots appear on the leaves, and the veins become discolored.

The fungal disease powdery mildew, or spheroteca, is manifested by a whitish, loose coating that appears first at the bottom of the above-ground part, and then spreads to the entire plant. As a result, the fruits crack and die, and the affected leaves and shoots turn black and die over time.

Treatment

If you have found out why peas are sick, you need to know how to treat peas against fungus, because there is only one way to get rid of the virus: remove the diseased specimen from the area and burn it, and spill the soil in which the diseased plant grew with a strong solution of potassium permanganate and Do not grow anything in this place for at least a year.

You can fight the fungus with fungicides (Quadris, Topaz, Topsin, Fundazol, Skor, for example), but it is best to try to treat spheroteca with folk remedies that are safe for humans:

dissolve 40 g of soda ash and 40 g of grated laundry soap in ten liters of water, mix thoroughly and spray the peas with this mixture twice at intervals of a week;
300 g of field thistle leaves are poured into a bucket of water, left overnight, filtered and sprayed on the peas twice with an interval of seven days;
half a bucket of chopped garden weeds is poured with hot water to the top of the bucket and left for several days, then the infusion is filtered through cheesecloth, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and sprayed on the peas.

All treatments on the leaves are carried out in the evening to avoid burning the drop-covered ground parts of the peas by the sun's rays.

Caterpillars of cutworms, leaf rollers and moths are combated by treating peas with infusions of tomato tops and garlic. To prepare tomato infusion, three kilograms of chopped tomato tops are infused in 10 liters of water for a day or two. Before processing the peas by leaves, filter the infusion. To prepare a medicinal infusion, 20 g of garlic is passed through a crusher, poured with ten liters of water and infused for 24 hours, then filtered and used. These infusions have also proven themselves in the fight against aphids.

Pea planting dates

The ripening time of the first harvest varies greatly depending on the variety, but ordinary summer residents almost always sow early ripening sugar varieties. Their first blades can be picked approximately 45 days after sowing. Therefore, it is possible to calculate sowing dates based on these data. But in practice, peas are sown without hesitation, as soon as the soil allows the rows to be drawn and a few centimeters deepened into it. In the central region of our country, depending on the weather, this can be done in mid or late April.

To prolong the harvest, it is advisable to sow several varieties: the earliest and mid-early ones. But in any case, this must be done as early as possible: peas sown closer to summer germinate and develop worse: they do not like too hot weather. The deadline is mid-June. All pea varieties are amazingly cold-resistant. At the same time, smooth-grained ones germinate at a soil temperature of +1 ° C, while brainy ones require slightly warmer weather. But any air temperature is suitable. For the growth of peas, the optimal temperature is from 12 to 22 ° C.

Some gardeners try to focus their planting dates on the Lunar calendar. Although it should be admitted that in recent years interest in this topic has subsided somewhat, which is also due to the fact that different publications publish very different dates for the same garden work. If we analyze various sources, it turns out that in 2022 the most favorable dates for sowing peas are April 21, 23–28, as well as May 3–5.

Planting dates in different regions

Peas grow well in any climate except very hot ones. If in the central regions of Russia it is sown in April, then in the north - in May, and in the south - already in the first spring month: peas do not like hot weather, and you can get a full harvest only before it arrives. Therefore, for example, in the Krasnodar Territory or the republics of the North Caucasus, peas can be planted at different dates in March, depending on the current weather.

In the Moscow region or in Belarus, where the climate is similar, there are ideal conditions for growing this crop. The timing of sowing peas here is very early; it begins when the soil warms up to 5º C, that is, no later than the May Day holidays. Many gardeners sow seeds two or three times, until about June 10. Ukraine has a varied climate: it is the second largest country in Europe. If in the north the sowing calendar is similar to that of the Moscow region, and peas are sown in the middle or end of April, then in the southern regions this is done already in the last days of March.

Types and varieties

The pea species (Pistum sativus) is genetically diverse. Its subspecies differ in leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. But this classification is of interest only to botanists. Practitioners divide pea varieties according to ripening into early, mid-ripening and late-ripening, and according to their intended purpose they distinguish varieties:

Hulling (Pisum sativum convar. sativum) varieties

Varieties with smooth seeds containing a lot of starch and not many free sugars.

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The best varieties of shelling peas:

Dakota is a disease-resistant early and productive variety with large peas;
Vegetable miracle is a mid-season, disease-resistant variety with pods 10-11 cm long and seeds of excellent taste, intended for both fresh eating and canning;
Dinga is a German early ripening variety with slightly curved beans 10-11 cm long and dark green seeds in an amount of 9 to 11 pieces. The variety is suitable for fresh eating and canning;
Somerwood is a large-grained, mid-late, disease-resistant and productive variety with six to ten peas per pod 8-10 cm long;
Jof is a mid-late, disease-resistant variety with sweet seeds in beans 8-9 cm long;
Bingo is a late-ripening, disease-resistant, high-yielding variety with excellent taste, with an average of 8 seeds per pod.

Brain (Pisum sativum convar. medullare) varieties

Their peas are wrinkled at the stage of biological ripeness, but they are used in the phase of technical ripeness. They have a lot of sugar, so they are frozen and used for canning.

The most popular varieties:

Alpha is the earliest variety of bush (non-lodging) form with a growing season of only 55 days, a slightly curved saber-shaped pod with a sharp apex up to 9 cm long with 5-9 seeds inside. Variety of excellent taste;
Telefon is an amateur, very late, high-yielding variety with a long (up to three meters) stem and beans up to 11 cm long with 7-9 sweet, large green seeds;
Adagumsky is a mid-season variety of high taste with greenish-yellow seeds when ripe;
Vera is an early high-yielding variety with pods 6 to 9 cm long with 6-10 peas.

Sugar (Pisum sativum convar. axiphium) varieties

Varieties with small and very wrinkled seeds that do not have a parchment layer in the pod, so they can be eaten along with the pod.

The best varieties:

Ambrosia is an early ripening variety that requires support when growing;
Zhegalova 112 - a high-yielding mid-season variety with straight or slightly curved beans 10 to 15 cm long with a blunt top and 5-7 sweet, tender seeds;
Sugar Oregon is a mid-early variety with pods up to 10 cm long, in which 5-7 seeds ripen;
Miracle of Kelvedon is a high-yielding early-ripening variety with 7-8 large, smooth dark green peas in pods 6-8 cm long.

The process of planting peas for seedlings

To get a very early harvest, peas are sometimes grown through seedlings. True, a lot of space in the apartment must be allocated for this, so they try to prepare seedlings in greenhouses or greenhouses. Any containers in which seeds are sown every 2–3 cm are suitable for this purpose. The composition of the soil does not matter. For sowing, it is better to use early varieties, for example, Early 301 or Viola.

Since there is no need to be afraid of cold weather at home, peas are soaked for 10–12 hours before planting, changing the water periodically. Sowing the seeds itself is not difficult: they are buried to a depth of 3–4 cm, having previously marked frequent grooves, and watered well. Peas sprout in about a week, and seedling care is as simple as keeping the soil moist and monitoring light and temperature conditions. Peas should be in the sunniest place with a temperature no higher than 20 ° C.

The most difficult thing is picking the seedlings, so you can immediately sow them in separate cups, but in the apartment there will certainly be nowhere to put them. In this regard, they often do without picking, but untangling the intertwined roots of neighboring plants is not at all easy.

Sometimes seedlings are grown in so-called hydroponics. To do this, construct a “snail” from toilet paper, which is placed on plastic film, and then the prepared seeds are laid out on the paper, watering generously. After rolling the paper and film into a roll, place it vertically and water it daily.

With this option, the snail should be illuminated for at least 18 hours a day. After two weeks, the seedlings develop good roots, and after a few more days the “snail” is unwrapped, the peas with roots are carefully separated and transplanted into a garden bed.

Already at the stage of cotyledon leaves in toilet paper, peas produce powerful roots

Transplanting seedlings into the ground

Seedlings in a box with soil are ready for planting in 3–4 weeks, earlier in hydroponics. Carefully removing it from the nursery, plant it in pre-prepared beds. In the middle zone this is done in the first half of May, in the south - at the end of April.

The seedlings are planted in deep furrows, well watered. Planting pattern: 10–12 cm in rows and 35–40 cm between them. If the work is carried out in cloudy weather, the seedlings take root well.

Care instructions

Peas prefer loose soil, so about 16 days after germination, the seedlings need to be loosened and hilled.

During the growing season, peas will at some point reach such a height that they cannot stand upright and will fall onto soggy soil. This is completely unacceptable, so they place pegs in the beds and pull a rope over them to support the plants in the desired position.
In dry and hot summers, among crop care measures, the irrigation regime becomes especially important. Do not allow the top layer of soil to dry out in the garden bed. The crop is watered quite often and abundantly. A bucket of water is poured onto every square meter.

The crop is early ripening; pea pods begin to be collected within 14 days after the onset of the flowering phase. It is advisable to collect the pods daily as they ripen. Remove the pods from the plants carefully so as not to injure the stem.

Immediately after sowing, it is necessary to build a structure for staking the plants. To do this, drive stakes and stretch wire or mesh. Untied plants will fall to the ground, where they will grow in unacceptable conditions.

Planting peas in a greenhouse

To grow super early crops, peas are sometimes planted in a greenhouse. Although, of course, a thrifty owner would rather spend precious space growing more heat-loving crops. In unheated greenhouses, including polycarbonate ones, sowing is carried out in March. Only sugar brain varieties are planted in greenhouses, the pods of which you want to enjoy as early as possible.

Of course, there’s not a lot of space in the greenhouse for peas, but ardent lovers will definitely plant a few bushes

Greenhouse growing of peas is no different from ordinary cultivation, except that with the onset of warm weather the greenhouse will have to be constantly ventilated: peas do not like heat. In addition, due to high humidity, peas in a greenhouse often develop powdery mildew. They plant peas in the same way as they do in unprotected soil, but do not rely on rain and water more often. To repel pests, mustard is sown nearby or pre-grown basil seedlings are planted.

Harvesting

The collection of blades of sugar varieties begins within a week or a week and a half after flowering, since the largest amount of useful substances is contained in the seeds and leaves of young peas. However, uneven ripening, the tendency of ready-made pods to crack, as well as lodging of plants make harvesting peas so difficult that it turns into a very labor-intensive process.

It is better not to pick off the pods, but to cut them with scissors so as not to damage the delicate stems.

After everyone has eaten their fill of young peas, more and more pods remain unharvested on the bushes. This is bad: an unharvested harvest gives plants a signal that they can end their life activity and dry out. To prevent this from happening, pods that are not needed for food are collected for seeds:

Leave the pods on the bush until fully ripe (the skin should be yellow and dry).
Each variety is removed into separate containers, making sure that specimens damaged by pea weevil are not caught.
Then carefully remove the peas from the dry pods and dry them for another week, spreading them out in one layer.
After harvesting, plant remains are mowed down and placed in compost.

It is not recommended to pull out the roots: over the summer they have accumulated useful nitrogen-containing substances, which, as they rot, will enter the soil and will be used up next year by future plantings.

Video: collecting peas for seeds

Proper planting of peas in a summer cottage almost guarantees a normal harvest: this crop requires only minimal care during cultivation. Having sowed sugar brain varieties in early spring, you can already enjoy vitamin products and delight your children and grandchildren with them at the very beginning of summer.

Author: Igor Rodiontsev
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Graduated from the Faculty of Chemistry of Moscow State University in 1981. Candidate of Chemical Sciences, Associate Professor. Rate this article:

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