Peas are an annual plant and vary in size from 18in to over 6ft tall. They have tendrils which cling to supports, although modern varieties are available which are almost self-supporting. Grouping is according to the time taken to mature.

Peas are a member of the legume family and extract nitrogen from the air which is then stored in the roots. After harvesting if you dig the roots into the soil they then provide nitrogen for the next crop to be planted, for example, potatoes.

Petit pois are small peas, shelling-peas are grown for fresh peas in the pod and wrinkle-seeded are sweeter but not so hardy as the smooth seeded varieties. Mangetout, sugar peas and other edible-podded type peas are eaten before the peas become fully mature.

Where to grow your peas.

A cool season crop, peas are best grown at 55-64ºF (13-18ºC). Frost will destroy the flowers and pods. Peas will grow better in an open site in a medium, well dug soil. Add plenty of well rotted compost before planting but DO NOT add nitrogen. Peas should be rotated in position from the previous year.

Tall varieties of peas will cast a lot of shade so good planning will have you planting shade loving vegetables such as radishes underneath.

Soil preparation for growing peas.

Soil can be prepared in December to allow soil to settle. Dig in organic matter to s depth of a spade and add a handful of bonemeal per square yard in the top of the soil.

Growing peas from seed.

Sow the first outdoor seeds when soil temperature reaches about 50º F (10º C) as germination will take longer at lower temperatures. When using dwarf cultivars this can be done under cloches or floating mulch.

For crops throughout the season either sow 14 days apart of one type, or sow different cultivars at the same time so that they mature at different times. Do not sow in mid-summer in warm areas as high temperatures will prevent germination. Where winters are mild you can sow hardy, early maturing types in late autumn.

Seeds should be sown 1in deep in patches. This means the plants will help support each other. Space seeds about 2-3in (5-7cm) apart. An alternative is to sow in flat-bottomed drills 9in (23cm) wide, spacing seeds 2in apart in all directions. Drills should be 24-36in (60-90cm) apart.

Watering, feeding and caring for peas.

In cases where organic matter has been added when preparing the soil there is no need to feed your young plants. Moisture is essential and plants need watering regularly unless there is a high amount of rainfall.

Protect peas with horizontal netting as pea guards to prevent birds from destroying them. Once tendrils have developed remove pea guards and provide support in the form of wire netting, pea nets, stakes or brushwood .

Harvesting peas.

Early types of peas can be harvested 11-12 weeks after sowing. Maincrop peas should be ready in 13-14 weeks. In general peas are ready to harvest about 3 weeks after flowering. Peas quickly loose their flavour once harvested to pick as required.

Alternatively pull up plants and hang them to dry by the roots. Once dry remove the pods and extract the peas for freezing.