Easy to grow, not susceptible to disease or insects, resistant to cold and also capable of enriching the soil with nitrogen, the pea plant is a presence that can interest those who have the space to grow it. Here we will show how simple it is to learn how to sow peas and when to do it to ensure good production and healthy seedlings.
Pea plant
We are dealing with an annual climbing herbaceous plant with a root system that sinks a maximum of one meter, very branched especially near the earth’s surface. In the air it develops with a stem instead little branched that can reach up to two meters in length, hollow, with a cylindrical section , which must be helped to grow with appropriate supports.
When it grows it creates numerous nodes, or meshes, the first ones are only vegetative, with only leaves, all the others are also reproductive, with flowers too. The leaves are actually compositions of leaflets in a number that varies from 1 to 4 and each of them has an oval shape and is a maximum of 5 or 6 cm long. At their base appear two large enveloping stipules that can reach up to 10 cm in length and also resemble “rabbit ears ” or have red spots, especially in certain forage varieties.
Characteristics and benefits of peas
We will not spend the time that peas deserve here to tell how precious they are for our diet. Of course, we cannot but immediately point out how rich they are in water (79.4 g) but also in carbohydrates, proteins and fiber. Few fats, abundant instead vitamins, A, C, B, J and K , and minerals among which potassium, phosphorus and calcium stand out.
Before learning how to sow peas, it is good to know their antioxidant properties and know how digestible and useful they are in case of constipation , for example, or to prevent the onset of various gastrointestinal diseases such as colitis and irritable bowel syndrome.
Thanks to the presence of potassium and magnesium, peas reduce the levels of “bad” cholesterol and are allies of the heart and circulatory system in addition to controlling blood sugar, thanks to vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, soluble fiber and good protein content. Vitamin A also makes them suitable for eye health and vision
How to sow peas: spacing and watering
It is very easy to germinate peas in the field, so there is no need to put the seeds in seedbed pots, it is a useless step that we can avoid by sowing directly in the garden . If we only have a balcony, we can put them directly in a nice pot.
The steps are really simple to learn how to sow peas, the important thing is to put the seeds at the right depth, 3 centimeters, and then water them enough to make them grow strong and healthy. We can first prepare the soil with a good digging that guarantees drainage.
When we get to the time of sowing it is important to organize the space correctly and respectfully of the needs of the plant. Usually the pea is sown in rows, we can help ourselves by previously digging furrows that then guide the sowing about 3 or 4 centimeters deep.
To keep a correct distance between two seedlings, we take into account that each of them must be about 20 centimetres from the others. When the seedlings begin to grow, we never let them lack vertical supports to allow for height development and good pea production.
Sowing peas: soil
Before sowing peas it is very important to prepare the soil properly. This is not an extremely difficult operation but it must be done. It is in fact necessary to dig the soil well, so that it is well drained.
The soil should be dug to a depth of 35/40 centimetres if we intend to sow directly in the field, then hoe the first ten centimetres on the surface and break up the clods.
It is also optional, but recommended, to add mature manure or compost to make the soil more welcoming and fertile. The last “touch” before sowing is with the rake, to level the space where the furrows will be drawn.
When to sow peas: months and moon phases
More than how to sow peas, it is necessary to know the months in which it is possible to do so in order to organize yourself better. It is fine to proceed already in the autumn months and therefore start our cultivation already in October if in our area there is no danger of strong frosts. If instead this is the case, it is better to opt for a spring sowing, as soon as the weather becomes kinder and the temperatures are less close to zero. Usually this happens around the month of February but today with the climate we are in, the right time could be already in January or March.
Once we have sown this plant, we can trust in their development. In about 10 days , the germination time, we will be able to notice that the seedling will push to emerge. At this point we can follow the cultural cycle of our plantation which is really difficult to predict a priori since it depends a lot on the sowing period but also on the variety of peas we have used. The complete cycle goes from 80 to 120 days but it is necessary to take into account that if sown in autumn the peas are slower to sprout in the open air, vice versa for those who have sown in spring. Furthermore the dwarf varieties are always faster than the others.
Another variable on time could be the lunar one, that is, what phase we were in when we sowed. In theory, we should put peas in the ground during the waxing moon because it is the right time for seed and fruit vegetables. In this way we will facilitate the development of the aerial part composed of stem and leaves, but above all the flowering and the production of fruit. The lunar influence on the growth of peas is actually a technique that has not yet been fully confirmed, however we can try to follow the indications in this sense, it costs nothing to try.
Where to buy pea seeds
Finding early pea seeds to start our home pea cultivation is really simple: we can buy them in a gardening center or we can order them online. On this Amazon page for example you can find a medium-sized bag of pea seeds with excellent reviews left by over 200 users who have purchased it.
Sowing peas and cooking
The fact that we can sow and harvest peas for much of the year and have canned peas available all year round allows us to think of numerous recipes that can be customized with seasonal ingredients.
Peas are also suitable for any dish, both first and second courses, as well as side dishes, without forgetting appetizers, and are rich in nutritional elements (vitamins, minerals and vegetable proteins).
Here is an example of a very simple but tasty recipe, the one for the savory pie with chicken and peas , ready in just over half an hour. The ingredients for four people are the following:
- 1 shortcrust pastry
- 400 gr chicken breast
- 350 milliliters vegetable broth
- 200 g peas
- 150 milliliters whole milk
- 30 g corn starch – cornflour
- 2 gr spring onion
- thyme
- qb pepper, salt, extra virgin olive oil
Here is the procedure to follow: after cleaning and chopping the spring onions, put them in a pan to fry them with three tablespoons of oil. Immediately add the frozen peas and thyme, a glass of hot water and a pinch of salt and cover the pan and leave to cook for about twenty minutes. In the meantime, separately, we can brown the chicken breast cubes with a little oil, salt and pepper, for a maximum of 10 minutes or until they become golden.
We take the cake pan and lightly butter it so that it is prone to being lined with shortcrust pastry. On top of the pastry we can scatter the peas and then the diced chicken that we have prepared. We still have the broth to use and other ingredients. The edge must be cooled and then we can add the sifted corn starch, stirring to avoid the formation of lumps. Then we add the milk without stopping stirring, or we pour the mixture into the cake covering the other ingredients.
It’s time to put everything in the oven, at 180 degrees, for about 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the cream is well set. Remove from the oven, let cool and serve.
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