Pisum sativum (Fabaceae) Erwten, Petits pois, Erbsen

Peas	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D	Dist
Early Onward			s	s	s	s	h	h	h	h			150×5
Greenshaft			s	s	s	s	h	h	h				150×5
Progress no.9			i	i/s	s	h	h	h/s	h/s	s	h	h	60×5
s: sow in open ground – c: sowi in coldframe – p: sow in polytunnel – i: sow indoors – pl: plant – h: harvest Dist: distance (between the rows x In the rows) in centimeters

Varieties that do well on Erraid are:

• ‘Early Onward’ (Garden Organic, ok early pea)
• ‘Greenshaft’ (Marshalls, best main crop pea)
• ‘Progress no.9’ (Garden Organic, very good)

Fertilization

Prior to sowing, add wood ashes to the area for fertilization. Too much fertilization may harm peas, as they are vulnerable to nitrogen. Compost may help, though pea plants don’t need much fertilizer. They like low nitrogen, low potassium and low phosphorous. Peas aren’t very hungry plants.

Care during growth

Always keep seeds well watered during germination and then water the plant sparingly. Don’t hoe the area as this may damage the roots.

Harvest

Peas can typically be harvested between 12 and 15 weeks after planting. Harvest frequently to increase yields. Do not let peas over-mature as this will slow it’s production.

‘Early Onward’ are usually ready for use 11-14 weeks after sowing.

Storage and preservation

‘Early Onward’ is recommended for deep freezing

More tips & tricks

• Soak the seeds overnight before planting.
• Peas are very frost tolerant.
• “Do these few things right and your peas will grow like wildfire“, according to Charles…

`Diary