Don’t freeze those peas, please
“Peas are so easy to grow, they’re almost bulletproof,” enthuses Chris Smith from Sunland Seeds, one
of Australia’s largest supplier of pea seeds to Australian farmers.
Since the advent of frozen, pre-shelled peas, very few of us ever seem to have the opportunity to taste
fresh green peas. But Chris thinks the sweet flavour of a just-picked pea is something everyone should
experience – and you’ll only get to do so if you grow your own. This is why Chris Smith believes that
more Australian home gardeners should try growing peas.
“All you need is an open, sunny spot in the garden, with well-dug soil that’s previously been used to
grow another, unrelated crop such as sweet corn or tomatoes,” says Chris. “And just one packet of
seed will produce enough peas for a family, especially if the sowing is staggered over the next couple
of months.”
Here are some of Chris’s other tips for home garden pea growers:
- Unless you know your soil already has a high pH, add some Yates Garden Lime or Dolomite
before sowing.
- Mix complete fertiliser – Yates Blood & Bone, Dynamic Lifter or Thrive Granular – into the soil
before sowing, but don’t let the plant food come into direct contact with the seeds.
- Sow seeds into damp soil (approx. 25mm deep) and don’t water again for a couple of days.
- Be careful not to overwater. Both seeds and plants will rot away if they’re too wet.
- Climbing peas like Yates Telephone, Snow Peas and Climbing Sugarsnap will need a
supporting trellis to climb on. Wire panels are best, as they allow air movement through the
plants.
- Even the taller ‘dwarf’ peas, such as Greenfeast, will perform better if given some support.
Otherwise they tend to flop on the ground where they’re much more likely to pick up disease.
- If you don’t have room for a trellis, low growing Yates Earlicrop Massey is the best choice.
- Peas grow well during the cooler months. The flowers can be damaged by frost so, in very
cold areas, you’ll have to wait until spring for crops. But in those cold parts it’s possible to sow
well into spring.
- Mildew is the most common problem. This fungal disease, which first appears as powdery
patches on the leaves and plants, may eventually cause the plant to collapse. Try to keep
leaves as dry as possible (water at the base and in the morning) and spray with a milk solution
(1 part full cream milk to 9 parts water).
Harvest pods regularly to keep more crops coming and, at the end of the season, dig the plants into
the soil so that they can add valuable nitrogen.
“Even first-time gardeners will find peas easy to grow,” concludes Chris. “And kids will be amazed to
discover that peas don’t always have to come out of plastic bags in the freezer.”
Comments (8)
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john
Yates site member
13:38, 05 March 2010
use seaweed tonic every 2 weeks and sulphate of potash every 4 weeks to really help avoid mildew and provide abundant large pods.
Aileen
Yates site member
22:18, 05 March 2010
I believe Peas are a fair source of vitamin K,(which helps protect your liver and assists in blood coagulation) however if you freeze them, vitamin K is destroyed. So definately DON'T FREEZE THE PEAS.
James
Yates site member
07:11, 06 March 2010
I love Peas, Thank you for the tip not to freeze peas.I will put in a small crop when all this rain stop in Queensland
RAQUEL
Yates site member
08:45, 07 March 2010
i have no luck in growing peas as the crows eat the pods just b4 picking or the snails eat the plants regardless of snail repellers anyone got any advice
Doug
Yates site member
14:04, 08 March 2010
I am sorry, I cannot help you with the crows but I have a suggestion that was given to me many years ago. Using a seed raising mixture I plant peas into seedling pots. As peas do not like to be disturb when transplanting, the transplanting is not normally a good option. However, growing them as seedlings over comes the eating problem by snails and I have found that if you are very careful, the pea can be planted out if you are very careful not to loose too much soil from around the roots. Raising them in a warm house starts them off quicker and as I said avoids the pests that destroy the small plants in a night. When peas first come through the soil, they can be bitten off by birds, planting them into seedling pots also overcome this. I know that you need a lot of seedling pots if you are to plant a large area but if you want a few peas to perhaps eat off the bush, this is a good idea I feel. You may not agree but try it with a few peas. Doug
Dani
Yates site member
05:14, 09 March 2010
I have just sown a few peas in a tray and they are in my mini green house. I am looking forward for them to grow. I've never grown them before but all your stories and advice has been great so thanks!
LORRAINE
Yates site member
08:43, 11 March 2010
Slugs and Snails hate sliding over anything sharp or dry. So try using crushed eggshells or sawdust around your pea plants or any other plant you are trying to save. You might have to replace the sawdust fairly often, but the eggshells last for ages.
Michelle
Yates site member
20:17, 20 March 2010
A huge thank you to Chris Smith from Sunland Seeds, for your very helpful tips on planting peas. Every year I try so hard to create a 'bountiful crop' for our 15 year old son to devour and each year it has a very disappointing turn out, they simply don't grow - until now! I followed every instruction the 2 most important ones, well fertilised(lime) and plant in well soaked beds and don't water for a couple of days. That was 2 weeks ago and now they are well in abundance, 2" tall with leaves. How encouraging - super pleased!! A gardening website with really helpful advice.
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