Peas

Pisum sativum and Pisum macrocarpon

Peas are delicate vining annuals that produce their fruit in the form of pods containing multiple round seeds. Their flowers are of the banner and keel orientation common to members of the legume family to which peas belong. Peas prefer cooler weather and most will wilt in the heat and prolonged periods of heat and/or drought will kill the plant outright. Most peas reach maturity within 2-3 months.

Other plants commonly referenced as peas are peanut, blackeyed pea, cowpea and chick pea

Peas is a Annual plant that grows best in zones 3 through 8
Light requirements: part sun 
Soil Requirements: moderately rich
Moisture requirements: moderately moist

Flowers

white to purple

appear in the Spring

Fruit

Green, purple or yellow

appear in the Spring.

Peas is best planted in the Winter for a Spring harvest

Peas is not drought tolerant.
Peas is shade tolerant

Growing Peas

A successful pea harvest requires 90 days or so of cool temps between 55 and 75 degrees, occasional frosts are okay and occasional temps above 75 degrees can be mitigated with shade and extra water. Plant peas as soon as soil can be worked in the spring or when soil temperatures are above 40 degrees Farenheight (use a soil thermometer, insert one inch into the soil and take temperature first thing in the morning) or four to six weeks before your last spring frost date. For an autumn, you can plant peas once you are getting a high of less than 75 degrees in the fall or six to eight weeks before your first fall frost date. If you have a long growing season, you can succession plant your peas every four weeks.

Peas require soil with good drainage and about six hours of sunlight per day. The soil must be well-worked and soft (can you easily stick a finger in there without hurting yourself or encountering anything hard?) and an application of a balanced fertilizer or compost, well-mixed in is advisable at the time of planting. While peas are capable of fixing their own nitrogen (assuming the require bacteria are present, an inoculant may be required), they need some nitrogen to get started and they also need significant amounts of potassium, phosphorus and sulphur as well as a relatively neutral PH.

Peas usually do best planted directly in the garden. However, if your pea growing season is short or if you have problems with birds or rodents making off with your pea seeds, you may wish to start them indoors. You may do so in a sunny window three weeks before transplanting. Harden off your plants by leaving them outdoors, first in the shade for several days and then in the sun for several more days whenever the weather allows. Take care when planting out to disturb the roots as little as possible and be gentle with the delicate stems.

Outdoor seedbeds can be covered with floating row covers or chicken wire to prevent theft from birds or rodents. The chicken wire will need to be removed while the plants are quite small or you can let them grow up through it.

Seeds should be planted one inch deep in good draining soil. They must be kept moist but not waterlogged or they may begin to rot. If it is too cold for them, they may survive until the weather warms up as long as they are not sitting in water. Seeds and transplants should be spaced about six inches apart.

Both determinant (bush) and indeterminant (vining) pea plants require some support. They produce little tendrils that wrap around any available support to help them climb up toward the sun. Bush types are smaller, but still need support as pea plant have very delicate stems. Tomato cages, bamboo tripods or a fence will do the trick. Vining type pea plants can reach six feet tall or more and require more significant support. Tall poles with wire run between them at foot-wide intervals are popular for plants grown in rows while tall tripods are useful in raised beds and for square foot style gardening. But peas aren't picky. If you can secure any old tree branch in the ground, with or without branches, they will climb it and some find success pairing peas with sturdier tall-growing plants, like grains, which they can grow up. Trellises must be in place before the plants are more than six inches high as it can be very difficult to install trellising for larger plants and the effort may damage the plants.

Peas meant to be eaten fresh should be picked as soon as they are of the right size. "Ripe" peas are dried and hard, so do not wait for ripeness unless you are growing soup peas and these are harvested by uprooting the whole plant and hanging it upside down to dry completely before threshing. Sweet peas, snap peas and snow peas are harvested by cutting or breaking off the stem just above the little "cap" on the pea pod. If you are breaking it off, hold the stem while you do so to avoid damaging the plant. Do this in the morning just after the dew has dried for best flavor. The more peas are harvested, the more they will produce. Plan on harvesting every 3 days or more often once production has begun. If you let them go too long, they will stop producing and focus on ripening the pods they have.

Peas should be eaten as soon as possible after harvest for best flavor. If you cannot eat them right away, they can be blanched and then frozen or canned using a pressure canner.`

Plant about a 3 1/2 foot row of each type of peas per person who likes them. Double this if you will be canning or preserving them for out of season use.

Companions

carrots, turnips, radishes, cucumbers, corn, beans, oats

Incompatible Plants

garlic, onion, leek, shallot

Potential Pests and Diseases

Fusarium wilt, Mexican bean beetles, Woodchucks, Rats and Mice, Aphids

Uses for Peas

Peas Folklore

It is said that if a single woman finds nine peas in a pod, the next man she meets will be her future husband. Alternatively, you can throw one of those peas over your right shoulder and make a wish.

If you find but one pea in a pod, it's good luck.

The traditional date for planting peas is March 17th, Saint Patrick's Day.

Magickal Correspondences for Peas
Element(s): Earth -
Planet(s): Moon -
Season:
Sabbat:
Deities:
Zodiac Signs:
Gender:

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