My family doesn’t eat as many peas as I would hope. I happen to love eating them right with the pod, especially sugar snap peas. However, since we don’t eat that many, my wife doesn’t want to plant very many. Contrary to her desires, I will be planting more than we can eat and here is why. 

Most peas, like beans (Fabaceae family) are leguminous plants. This means that they “fix” nitrogen from the air into the plant and soil. Nitrogen is what plants need to grow and produce food. So having a plant that makes its own is a very good thing. This also means that the soil with the leguminous plant in it will have more nitrogen for other plants. When green leguminous plants decompose, they also have the same effect and add nitrogen to the soil. 

It is for this reason that I will be planting peas, where my melons are going to go. I will try and harvest the peas before the melons need to go in so it won’t cost me any space. If I don’t get a harvest in time then I am out $2.39 for the 3oz bag of seeds. I will till in the pea plants right into the soil and thereby improving my soil significantly. If I were going to get really serious, like many others are, I would plant peas all over the garden where my summer crops are going. It would provide benefit to all of the soil. 

For more information on growing peas, here is all you need to know by the Utah State Extension service.

http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/HG_Garden_2005-09.pdf

I will be growing Little Marvel and Sugar Snap Peas this year.

I am also experimenting this year with the early season. Since peas don’t mind cold, I am going to see how they do with planting them a week or two early. I planted two small rows on the 3/4/09 right before a snow storm and again after the storm on 3/6/09. Let’s see how they do. Note: I soaked the peas for 6 hours to “chit” them. I rinsed twice a day for three more days and then planted.

I am hoping to find out two different things. Will I still get a 63-70 maturity even when planting in cold soil or will the grow slower. I would also like to see if the peas can handle this cold of weather. Again, a $2.00 experiment.

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