How Do Peas Grow?

 

USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 - 11

 

The common pea is a small, spherical seed or seed pod in the pod fruit family, pisum sativum, annuals with a life cycle of one season. Pisum sativum comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, from compact to long-vined with varying pod and seed characteristics. Most peas are green, although some varieties are golden yellow or purple. Both compact and long-vined peas come in four basic types: snap peas, snow peas, shell peas and soup peas. 

 

-Snap peas are eaten whole.  Both the outer pod and inner seed are sweet in taste.

-Snow peas are flat pods that are also eaten whole with tender, edible vine tips.

-Shell peas have tough, inedible pods with sweet, tender peas inside.

-Soup peas are hard, starch-filled seeds that are dried and used in soups. They grow in inedible pods, and vary in shape, color and size.

 

Seasonal Growth

Health Benefits

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A Mexico City-based study recently showed that a daily intake of 2 milligrams or more of coumestrol, a phytonutrient found in peas and other legumes, decreases the risk of stomach cancer. One cup of peas contains 10 milligrams of coumestrol.

 

Two kinds of phytonutrients (pisusaponins I and II and pisomosides A and B) are found almost exclusively in peas. When combined with other phytonutrients that occur naturally in peas, recent studies have shown that the unusual combination of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of pisusaponins and pisomosides may help to decrease the risk of type II diabetes.

 

The strong fiber and protein content of green peas is attributed to the legume’s association with lowered risk of type II diabetes. By breaking down the starches that enter the digestive tract into sugars and regulating the passage of carbohydrates through the digestive tract, fiber and protein help the body to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. 

 

Green peas are a low fat food, however, they contain a surprisingly high level of fat-soluble nutrients. They are a good source of omega 3 fats in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and the omega 6 fatty acid, linoleic acid. ALA helps prevent certain kinds of cell damage in the body and helps the body to break down carbohydrates. It protects against memory loss, nerve-related symptoms of diabetes, chronic fatigue, cancer, eye-related disorders, and heart disease.

 

Peas are a good source of carotenoids alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, which have been shown to promote eye health and reduce the risk of cancer. Carotenoids protect the eyes by absorbing damaging blue light that enters the eye and working as antioxidants, protecting cells in the eye from oxidative damage from free radicals. 

 

Additional antioxidant vitamins found in peas include vitamin C and vitamin E, as well as the antioxidant mineral, zinc. 

 

Green peas also contain healthy levels of vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6 and folate, which combined with the omega 3 fatty acids and other blood vessel health-promoting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant vitamins, provides a powerhouse role in protecting cardiovascular health. 

 

History

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Although its specific origins are unknown, the modern day garden pea is thought to have originated from the field pea, native to Central Asia and the Middle East, and widely recognized as one of the first crops cultivated by humans, starting at the dawn of Neolithic agriculture. 

 

The earliest known wild peas were discovered in the Spirit Cave in northwestern Thailand, a prehistoric archaeological site dating back to 9000 BCE, and in cave sites in present-day northwestern Iraq dating back to 7000 BCE. 

Throughout their early history, peas were not eaten fresh, but in dry form. The ancient Greeks and Romans, from whom the modern pea derives its name (pisos in ancient Greek, and pisum in Latin) cultivated peas; in classical Athens, “hot pea soup” was sold on the streets. During the Middle Ages, peas were a staple food of the peasant class throughout Europe because they were inexpensive, plentiful, and could be stored dry throughout the winter months. 

 

There is no record of peas being eaten fresh until the early 17th century when English literature begins to distinguish between dried “field peas” and fresh “garden peas.” Different varieties of peas such as sugar peas appeared in France during the time of Henry IV, and were introduced to Genoa by French King Louis XIV in 1660. Throughout the 17th century, fresh peas were considered a luxurious delicacy.

 

Peas made their way to North America during the 18th century. Thomas Jefferson is said to have grown more than 30 cultivars of peas on his estate. 

 

Propagation

 

Peas are easy to grow because the peas themselves are seeds. They are a cool season crop that is planted any time from winter to early summer, depending on location. In warmer climates, they are planted in winter to yield a harvest before the intense heat of summer with a second crop planted in late summer for a late fall harveset. In cooler climates, peas are planted in early spring.  

 

Peas are planted about one month before the last frost when the soil temperature averages 45 degrees Fahrenheit. They grow best around or below 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

If using your own pea pods as a source of seeds, shell the the peas and place them in a warm space to dry for 3 days.  You can use the seeds immediately or store them in an envelope in a cool, dark and dry place for up to three years. 

 

1. Work nitrogen-rich organic matter such as compost or well-decomposed manure into the soil of your planting area. For a pea-planting head start, add organic matter, turn soil, and mulch well during the fall to prepare beds for early spring planting. 

 

1. Using the corner of a gardening hoe, create shallow furrows spaced 12 to 24 inches apart. Spaced the seeds approximately 1 to 2 inches apart, and cover with 1 inch of soil. 

 

1. Water immediately after planting, and regularly afterward to keep evenly moist but not soggy. Weeds compete with pea seedlings for nutrients, so be vigilant in weeding beds, especially the first six weeks. 

 

1. Tall and vining varieties need a trellis for support. It’s best to put it up right away as peas are very fast growing.  Most varieties are ready to harvest 18 to 21 days after blooms appear, approximately 60 days after planting.

 

If allowed to remain on the parent plants for the duration of the growing season, peas will dry out and begin to rattle inside their brown and shriveled pods. This is when they are ready to be removed from the plant and used as seeds.

 

 Harvest

 

The best time to harvest peas depends on the variety: 

 

• Snap peas when they have matured into plump pods with fully-ripe seeds. 

• Snow peas when the pods have reached full size, and the seeds inside are just beginning to swell, while they are still young and underdeveloped.

• Shell peas when the pods begin to develop a waxy sheen but before the color fades. 

• Soup pea pods remain on the vine until they begin to dry out  with browning hard shell. 

 

Storage 

 

As soon as peas are picked, their sugars begin to turn into starch, and they start to lose their sweetness and harden.  For this reason, it’s important that fresh peas are refrigerated and eaten as soon as possible.  Soup peas are used in dry form.

 

Peas can be stored in the refrigerator for several days in a container that provides some air circulation.

 

To store peas in the freezer, they are put in boiling water for one to two minutes and dried, then put in an airtight bag or container for up to six months. 

 

Fun Facts

 

Canada leads the world in pea production, followed by France, China, and Russia.

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Peas are consumed around the world in a variety of ways:  Canned, dried, frozen or fresh. 

They are often served as a side dish. Shelled, fresh peas are used in pot pies, salads, and casseroles. Unshelled sugar and snow peas are used in many Asian-American stir fry recipes. A number of traditional Indian dishes also use fresh peas, such as aloo matar (curried potatoes with peas) or matar paneer (paneer cheese with peas). Various regional varieties of pea soup are popular worldwide. 

 

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