It's hard to find a plot these days that doesn't grow peas. About taste and beneficial features everyone probably knows this culture, which is why adults and children love it so much. Just like beef, it contains a huge amount of plant protein, which is much easier to digest. Fresh, green peas includes vitamins of group B, PP, C, carotene, phosphorus, iron, and lysine. For people who suffer from cardiovascular diseases, the use of peas is a must, especially since it does not require a lot of space to grow this plant (it can also be planted along the fence). This article presents the basic rules for the care and planting of peas in open ground..
Peas: characteristics of the culture
Many people still ask the question: are peas legumes or not? He really belongs to the legume family, other information is erroneous. The branching stems of the plant reach 250 cm. The stem is hollow, and the leaves are pinnate, compound. The petioles, which have antennae, cling to the support, and thus keep the culture in an upright position. The pea root has a deep structure. Flowers usually white, but there are also purple ones. Due to their ability to self-pollinate, they bloom 45-55 days after sowing. Have early varieties peas, at the first flowering you can see 7-8 leaves from the bosom, and up to 24 leaves in late varieties.
New peduncles appear every two days. Characterization of peas cannot be complete without describing the fruit. They are beans, and depending on the plant variety, they have different shape and color. The beans contain up to 10 wrinkled or smooth seeds and are the same color as the skin of the pod. During the growth of the plant, beneficial bacteria develop on its roots, and nitrogen also appears, which the peas assimilate from the atmosphere (with this it nourishes the soil).
Choosing a place for planting peas in the garden
Peas are picky about the planting site, so the cultivation of this crop should start with its selection. When choosing a site, you should pay attention to the soil, plant neighbors, lighting, heat, and climatic conditions.
Climatic conditions for growing peas
In order for the seed pea to develop well, it is important to create suitable conditions for it. The plant is very fond of moisture, therefore, so that the seeds swell evenly, and friendly shoots appear, peas must be planted early in moist soil. Due to the high rainfall, the plant grows faster and yields increase. During the ripening of buds and flowering, moisture is especially needed. If there is not enough water, the plant sheds ovaries and flowers.
However, peas do not like if groundwater are too high. It is ready to withstand a short drought, as the strong root system of the peas draws on moisture from the deep layers of the soil. Peas are unpretentious to warmth and seeds germinate at a temperature of + 5 ° C. Seedlings are able to withstand frosts down to -6 ° С, and the optimal temperature for the formation of plant ovaries is +13 ... + 15 ° С, for the growth of beans - from +17 to + 22 ° С.
What kind of soil does peas like
Peas love when the soil is well processed and moist enough. If the selected soil for planting is acidic, then first it must be lime. This will require 300 g of slaked lime or 400 g dolomite flour for 1m². An ideal place for planting will be humus-rich loams, as well as well-fertilized, moist soil.
The best neighbors of peas
Before planting pea seeds, keep in mind that previous plants that have grown in the same place have a pretty strong effect on the yield. It is best to plant the described culture after potatoes, carrots, beets, cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkins.
Important! After others legumes, for example, beans, lentils, soybeans, peanuts, planting peas in this area is not worth it.
You should not return peas to the place where they grew last year, since there is a high probability of damage to the plant by diseases and pests, therefore, the possible timing of planting peas in the same area is no earlier than 3-4 years.
Features of planting peas at their summer cottage
To plant the peas correctly, and he brought big harvest, first you need to spend preparatory work... They consist of soil preparation, seed preparation and planting itself.
How to prepare the soil for planting peas
When preparing the soil, it should first be leveled and well watered, and before direct planting of the peas, it should be moistened again. Further, grooves with a depth of 6 cm must be made in the soil, keeping the distance between the beds at least 20 cm.
Important! The planting time of peas is not strictly limited, but experienced gardeners it is recommended to plant a crop when the weather is warm, that is, closer to May.
Preparing peas for planting
Before planting a plant, you also need to know how to choose the right pea seeds. Please note that only high-quality, healthy seeds are required for planting. Scrawny, sick and infected with pea weevil specimens should not be planted.
Did you know? For the convenience of selecting high quality seeds, they can be placed in a saline solution and only those that have sunk to the bottom are selected. Saline solution is quite simple: 1 tablespoon of salt in 1 liter of water.
Since pea seeds need to be germinated before planting, there are a few more simple steps to follow. After taking the seeds, they should be soaked in warm water and left to swell for 16 hours, changing the water every three hours. After soaking seed material, it is dried to a free-flowing state.
How to sow peas correctly
Peas do not require any special agricultural techniques and the planting scheme is quite simple. Before placing the seed in the soil, furrows with a depth of 6-7 cm should be made in the beds.The distance between them should be 45-55 cm.A mixture of compost and ash is placed in each furrow, then all this is sprinkled with earth, but so that the depth of the hole remains 2-3 cm. For one meter of furrow, 17-18 seeds are required, so the distance between pea seeds will be up to 6-7 cm. Next, the seed pit must be sprinkled tightly with earth, which will help retain moisture.
Did you know? You will not see how pea seeds germinate, but the first sprouts will appear in 7-10 days.
Pea cultivation technology, features of plant care
Taking proper care of your peas is just as important as correct fit... Watering, loosening the soil, fertilizing, tying bushes - all this undoubtedly affects the yield of the crop.
First steps after sowing
On which day the first stalk of peas appears, first of all, depends on the regularity of adding liquid to the soil. Proper and abundant watering is the main care of the plant. After sowing, you need to carefully monitor that the peas have enough moisture. If it is not enough, then the plant will die, not having time to show the first shoots. While the fruits ripen in the lower part, the peas are blooming in the middle, and the top is still growing and forming buds, watering is especially important for the normal development of the plant.
Important! Watering too much is also not good especially when the beans are forming. This can lead to the spread of diseases.
Soil care
During the period of active growth of peas, it is necessary to reverse Special attention for loosening the soil between the rows.This is the only way the roots and root-nodule bacteria can get the oxygen they need. At the first shoots, reaching a height of 6 cm and forming 4-5 leaves, the beds will need to be harrowed, but this should be done at a time when the ground is dry. This is necessary in order not to damage root system... Despite the fact that the soil compaction and the growth of weeds will be during the growing season, loosening between the rows should be carried out up to 3 times (to a depth of 7 cm).
Pea feeding features
The fertilizer should be applied under the peas to increase the yield, stimulate the flowering of the plant and to set the beans. At the first emergence of seedlings, peas should be fed with infusion of weeds. This is necessary when the work of nodule bacteria is still too weak and the plant lacks nitrogen. Top dressing will be very useful mineral fertilizers during fruit setting and before flowering. In the first case, it is recommended to water the plants with a complex fertilizer solution (3 g per 1 liter of water). You need to water between the rows, without getting on the leaves of the plant. Before flowering, it is better to feed peas with dry fertilizer, at the rate of 25 g per 1 m².
Garter bushes
Since the stalks of peas are rather weak, and at the first appearance of fruits, the plant falls from the weight, then it needs a garter of the bushes to support. In the role of support, metal rods or wooden pegs are used, which must be stuck along the row, at a distance of 1.5 meters from each other. On pegs or rods, you need to pull the rope or wire in a horizontal direction. Shoots with antennae are supported on a rope. This is necessary so that the peas are ventilated and warmed up.
The main diseases and pests of peas
The most common pests of peas are leafworm, garden and cabbage scoop, and pea moth. Leaf rollers and scoops lay eggs on pea leaves. Owl caterpillars, even those that have just hatched, eat ground part plants. Leafworm larvae are wrapped in leaves to feed on them. But the pea butterfly is a moth, lays eggs on leaves and fruits. After a week, they become food for the larvae. The main diseases that peas can get sick include powdery mildew and mosaic.
Peas, a delicious product most loved by children and adults at the time of their milk ripeness, can be easily grown on own site without spending a lot of time and effort. Many inexperienced vegetable growers do not know how to plant peas correctly and what subtleties in care you need to know in order to get a tasty and high yield. people have been engaged in for a long time, it was and remains one of the most demanded leguminous crops used for food and medicinal purposes. In cooking, peas are an integral component of the first and second courses and the basis of delicious filling for pies; pea flour (with boils and abscesses) and pea broth (with urolithiasis) have healing properties.
Green peas: growing secrets
How to grow peas at home? There is nothing complicated in this agricultural operation: timely watering, periodic weeding and, of course, correct selection seed material, of which the most optimal in their taste and technical qualities are sugar and shelling varieties. Sugar peas are characterized by a pleasant taste, hull peas are characterized by firmness and unpretentiousness in cultivation.
Any agricultural process has its origin; the same applies to planting peas: it is only important to decide on necessary material which is peas. How to grow legumes is a secondary issue; first they need to be planted. To do this, you need seeds and a planting container, under which you can use a plastic container or wooden box. The soil composition should consist of one third of loosening materials ( sawdust, humus or straw). The planting soil can also be enriched with mineral fertilizers dissolved in water.
Peas: how to grow by seeds
Fruiting of peas lasts for 2 months; picking ripe pods should be done in the morning. One shoot is capable of producing about half a kilogram of juicy peas. At the end of fruiting, the legumes are cut off.
Peas: how to grow greens
This crop is grown not only for the sake of obtaining beans; juicy greens can replace lettuce leaves, because it contains enough useful vitamins and biologically active substances. For example, in 100 grams of young peas there is a daily dose of useful for human body vitamin C.
When using peas, it is preferable to opt for undersized varieties with more juicy leaves in comparison with cereals. To obtain constantly fresh greens, peas must be sown in several stages. Coarse stems are pruned, the leaves break off, the plant gives new shoots.
How to grow peas outdoors
Growing peas in the open field is similar to home care, the only difference is in the territorial scale, several times exceeding the "balcony" version. Seeds are planted in open ground in April-early May (when the ground is still wet enough), seedlings - in late spring. Peas are an excellent predecessor of all, as their roots contain nitrogen enriching the soil.
The seeds are buried in the soil to a depth of 3-4 cm, otherwise the birds will be happy to treat them to the grains. Watering the plants should be regular; with a lack of moisture, ovaries and flowers may fall off. Peas for grain are harvested once, when the harvest is 70% ripe. If the culture is used in fresh or it is intended for canning, it can be collected many times, every 2-3 days.
Before growing peas in the country, it is better to germinate its seeds by soaking them for 12-18 hours with regular water changes every 3-4 hours. You can place the legumes in a damp cloth for a few days to ensure that the sprouts hatch as quickly as possible. For summer cottages or garden plots, you can use tall varieties, adapting supports for them.
There is a little known cunning agronomic technique that tells you how to grow peas using their combination with other crops. Mutually beneficial joint landing plants, in which each of them creates optimal conditions for high-quality growth of the other and obtaining the highest possible yield, is increasingly used by many vegetable growers. So, peas, enriching the soil with nitrogen, go well with corn, carrots, without competing with them for nutrients from the soil due to different terms ripening.
In order to grow peas on the windowsill you will need:
- viable seeds
- earth - prepared soil
- container for planting - it will be convenient to grow a plant, for example, in a pot or oblong box
- mineral fertilizers suitable for the selected variety
- a bottle of water (for irrigation and fertilization)
- loosening fork
Wanting to grow on your balcony or loggia delicious treat, the first step is to choose the right pea varieties, the germination of which is most likely for the existing conditions. Those who have been engaged in such plantings not for the first time are advised to choose undersized, sugar varieties, which will make it possible to comfortably place plantings in a pot even with low window openings. In addition, the leaves of undersized varieties are the most juicy in comparison with grain varieties. But in general, you can experiment with varieties, initially picking up several at once and then moving on to the option you like.
The most common varieties grown at home are:
- early ripe "Sugar". Differs in short stature, abundance of fruits and edibility of the shoulder blades. Fruits are medium in size, palpably sweet;
- undersized "Early Gribovsky". Differs in versatility, unpretentiousness, abundant harvest;
- early "Alpha", excellent for both conservation and drying;
- mid-season "Zhegalova 112", suitable for preservation with both peas and shoulder blades. Despite the long ripening period (60-80) days, it feels good in apartments, the yield is high.
When planting material picked up, you need to start germinating it. In order to germinate peas, you need to take a small piece of fabric, preferably natural (cotton, flax), wrap the peas in it and pour water over it for 3-4 hours. After excess water can be drained and stored in a damp cloth for 3-6 days, i.e. until they "hatch". The main thing is to make sure that the fabric with the peas wrapped in it is constantly wet, otherwise the planting material can be hopelessly ruined. It is very easy to germinate any legumes in this way. While the seeds are "hatching", it is necessary to start preparing containers and soil for planting.
As for the first, here you can take shallow oblong boxes, but it should be borne in mind that the plant develops well in an ordinary pot or plastic container but the latter are still undesirable. But with the soil, everything is somewhat more complicated. Of course, you can fill the prepared containers with soil with personal plot and calm down on this. The peas will certainly grow, but will not produce such excellent results. If you have chosen a more difficult path and decided to prepare the soil, then you should adhere to the rule that one third of the earth is loosening material: sawdust, straw, humus, small pebbles. It is better to take mineral fertilizers, and you must first dissolve them in the soil before dissolving them in water. To germinate peas for the soil, it is important to ensure the looseness of the powder, for which it is worth adding a little mulch to it.
Planting should be done as follows: in a prepared box or pot, make grooves no more than 2 cm deep at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other. Germinated peas are laid in the grooves obtained and sprinkled with moistened soil on top. Planting can additionally be poured over with water. After that, you should leave the containers with plantings alone and wait for the plant to germinate, remembering to make sure that the soil does not dry out and remains moist.
After the plant reaches a height of about 10 centimeters, it is necessary to stretch a coarse mesh over it in order to set the direction of growth for the peas. This is important, as otherwise the plantings will not have enough light. And those plants that turn out to be darkened risk dying or will bear poor fruit.
Pea care
You need to know that home-planted peas also require care. Doing enough simple recommendations will achieve excellent results. Care includes regular loosening, timely watering and fertilizing if necessary, as well as removing diseased and weak plants.
After the peas have begun to bloom, fertilization stops, but the amount of watering increases slightly, since shoots need much more moisture to form ovaries than for their own growth.
At home cultivation the risk of developing pea diseases is minimal, and if yellowing of the leaves is noticed on any of the plants, their curling, the formation of dark or light spots, such a plant must be destroyed so that the disease does not spread to neighboring shoots.
The use of homemade peas
Few people know that peas at home can be grown not only for the sake of the pods themselves, but also for greens. Firstly, it grows in a pot much faster than the same onion or, for example, salad. And secondly, when the right approach he can provide the owners not only with fresh herbs every day, but also with excellent fruits. In order for the plant not to die from excessive removal of greenery (leaves) after coarsening of the stem, it is pruned, which is why the peas give a large abundance of shoots. Some of them can be used for greenery, and some for growing shoulder blades.
Many varieties have quite edible shoulder blades, especially for sugar varieties. Moreover, as effective measure prevention of ARVI, it is sugar varieties that will the best option, since 100 grams of scoops (this is about 10-15 pieces) contains a daily dose of vitamin C, which belongs to a natural antiviral inhibitor.
Finally, the peas themselves. Almost all varieties of peas can be eaten raw, they are also suitable for preservation and as ingredients for various dishes. Often grown peas at home, especially in winter, are excellent for drying - some lack of moisture affects, and when choosing the appropriate variety (for example, mid-early "Avola"), the result will be more than excellent.
Honestly, I would never have thought of growing peas on the balcony, if not, thanks to which I got such seeds. I planted them purely out of curiosity, not really hoping for success, but in the end I even recently gathered my first "funny" crop. But, of course, the harvest could have been richer if some unfavorable events had not happened to my green peas, but there will still be: there is still a lot of time before the end of summer, not a single batch will have time to ripen!
Planting seeds and varieties of my peas
The first variety of peas, the seeds of which I got, is the Early 301 Pea. The package contained 3 dried peas and everything needed for planting: peat tablet and a glass.Read also: I unceremoniously planted all 3 peas close to each other in a small container. After 2 weeks, my peas had already become 10 cm plants and urgently needed planting in a large container. By tradition, I planted them right in a peat cup in a plastic container from a five-liter bottle and stuck a support next to it: 
I bought the second grade of peas myself. These were the "Alpha" vegetable pea variety. So that the seeds do not "disappear", I poured the whole pack into the bottle at once. Of course, everyone ascended, but surprisingly everyone began to bear fruit, although the plants grew in a terrible cramped situation. 
I planted both those and other seeds in universal soil, and small expanded clay was poured onto the bottom. The peas themselves were sprinkled with a small (up to a centimeter) layer of earth, having previously removed all foreign inclusions (sticks, hard lumps, and so on). After - well watered and under the bag.
Difficulties of growing peas at home
The difficulty in growing the first grade of peas "Early 301" consisted of 2 things:
1) Sowing too early - on March 14, when the daylight hours were still very small, and sometimes it was frosty outside, plus it was very cloudy;
2) Seals piled several containers with plants from the windowsill. Among them was my green peas. The plant lay on the floor for some time, managed to wither, and the once elastic stems sadly drooped, which led to deformation in the future (but at least not death): 
There were also 2 difficulties in growing the second grade of peas, but only of a different nature:
1) Too close proximity. I assumed that it would be so, but, for some reason, I do not like it when untouched seeds remain in the pack. I will improve.
2) The lower leaves of plants burn out in the sun. It didn’t seem to affect the amount of the harvest, but I don’t like it anyway: 
My first harvest
At first, as it was logical and expected, the peas "Early 301", which were planted on March 14, began to ripen. We picked the first pod just a few days ago. There are 2 more on the way. Of course, it’s even difficult to call it a harvest, but considering the conditions in which the peas grew and what kind of injury they suffered, we should be glad that they did bear fruit in general.
We divided 4 peas in half with the eldest daughter. I want to say that I have never tasted such sweet peas in my life! Like candy! We also ate the peel, and after that the child began to beg me to pluck the rest, immature pods, but I still do not give in)))
We haven’t tried the second variety of peas yet, but things there with the harvest are much better: that’s what the daylight hours have increased and the sun has begun to look out. On small area you can count as many as 6 pods:
Plus, every day more and more flowers are formed, and there are practically no barren flowers. Of course for open ground When there is an opportunity to sow a whole garden bed, this is a funny result, but for the first experience of growing peas on a windowsill it is quite tolerable, especially considering that Alpha peas were planted on April 11, and in early June we are guaranteed to eat their first pods. Plus, a minimum of useful space was spent.
But here, of course, if I hadn't skimped on additional capacity, I could have gotten a richer harvest :)
Pea care during cultivation
I was convinced that peas are very fond of abundant watering. If I water all other plants every 2-3 days, then the peas require daily watering. I'll skip a day, and the leaves immediately begin to wither.In addition, there were some difficulties for me in garter peas: I thought it was climbing plant, for which it is only necessary to stick a support, and it will do everything by itself. But it was not there. The peas could hardly grasp the support with their little antennae, and only braided themselves. Therefore, in addition to the support, I also cut ribbons from cellophane bag and secured the thicket of peas in a circle around a large stick.
Peas "Alpha":
Peas "Early 301":
To prevent the roots from suffering from the sun, I put a black opaque plastic bag on the containers in which the peas grow.
I started feeding the plants 2 weeks after germination, first with Agricola for seedlings, and now with Biohumus, which I plan to stop at for now.
1) Peas have a very powerful root system, therefore they require space. I think that for a "comfortable stay" it is enough to plant 2 peas in one 5-liter container. The harvest will be better;
2) If you plan to plant peas at home in winter, then you need to supplement it. Without the sun, there will definitely not be a good harvest (tested on peas "Early 301").
3) Peas like very abundant watering, and for this it is necessary and good drainage: this is so far the only container in which I made holes from the bottom to drain excess water;
4) It is better to choose something thin as a support, because peas are not able to grab a thick support;
5) Timely feeding will help to get good harvest:)
Peas are a multifunctional vegetable; housewives use it for various purposes. Some people like to eat it raw, others cook with it. various dishes, and still others are canned or dried. However, not only delicious green peas are eaten. The stems and blades of peas (sugar varieties) can also be used in cooking. Plus, the spatulas are high in vitamin C, which makes them great prophylactic for colds. How to germinate peas at home and what is required for this?
Conditions for growing peas
Lighting
It is necessary to grow this culture at home on the lightest balcony, since polka dots love good lighting.
Temperature
The plant is not afraid of cold weather, and it is very unpretentious to care for, so it will not be difficult to grow it at home.
Peas take out low temperatures up to -5 degrees, so that even on an unglazed balcony, it will bring good results. Although at the initial stage, it is better to grow peas on a windowsill.
Capacity
The flowerpot is not well suited for planting peas. It is best to take an oblong box made of wood or plastic for growing a plant at home. There should be holes at the bottom of the container to drain excess moisture.
Watering
Peas should be watered as the surface layer of the soil mixture dries up. Irrigation compacts the top layer of the earth, and this crop requires maximum air penetration to the root system. Therefore, after each application of water, it is advisable to loosen the soil. This procedure will allow you to grow a good crop of beans at home.
Soil and its fertilization
For planting peas, garden soil, harvested from September-October, is suitable. The land is taken from those plots where pumpkin or nightshade crops were recently harvested. The taken soil is diluted with loosening components in a ratio of 1: 3. As a baking powder, you can take sand, small stones, sawdust or peat. Before planting peas on the balcony, it is better to treat the soil mixture with a special preparation that prevents fungus and other diseases. The soil mixture for planting can also be fertilized with a solution of mineral fertilizing.
To grow a good harvest at home, you need to feed the plant on time. While the ovaries have not yet formed, the culture is fertilized with top dressing, which contains abundant potassium and phosphorus. In order for the leaves and stems to be strong and healthy, fertilizers containing copper should be applied to the soil as a preventive measure.
Selection and preparation of seeds
At home, before planting in the prepared soil, the seed can be germinated in the tissue, so in the future the seedlings will rise faster. However, peas can be introduced into the soil without germination, having previously soaked them in a solution of potassium permanganate or fertilizers. But first you need to choose seeds for planting at home.
Most often, gardeners choose hulling and sugar varieties of peas. The latter have more pleasant taste qualities, and the latter are easier to grow at home. The treated seeds are planted in loose, moist soil to a depth of 2 centimeters.
When planting, they form even rows, observing an interval of 2-3 cm, the distance between the peas should be 1-1.5 cm. After planting, watering must be done.
How to germinate peas?
After the variety of legumes is selected, we proceed to germination. A small piece of tissue is needed to germinate a seed. The fabric is best taken from natural fibers (linen or cotton).
We take the grains and wrap them in a piece of cloth, fill them with water and wait for 2-4 hours. Then the excess liquid must be squeezed out so that the material remains wet. Store the grains in a moist rag for 3 to 6 days. At this point, the beans should have sprouted.
The main rule is a damp cloth, if it dries up, the seeds will disappear. After pecking the seed, plant it in a prepared container to a depth of 1-2 cm, bury it and water it.
Instructions for planting and caring for peas
- You can grow seedlings on the balcony with or without seed germination. In the latter case, the selected peas should be soaked in water, to which a small amount of fertilizer was added. When the seed swells, it is transferred to the soil. Peas are planted in rows, 5-10 cm apart between them, there should also be an interval of 1-3 cm between the grains. After planting, the container must be covered with a film. After sprouting, the film is removed and the container is placed in a well-lit place. On the balcony, the seedlings will feel perfect, because thanks to the ventilation they are supported optimum temperature for growth. When the "young" grows up enough, it must be transplanted into a permanent container. Do not damage the root system during transplantation. There should be an interval of 17-23 cm between the planted shoots in a new container. For the first 2-3 days after transplanting, young plants should be protected from direct sunlight by shading them.
- When the seedlings grow up to 12-15 cm, the stems should be tied to the support. For this purpose, at home, use a wooden mesh with large cells.
- When the plant blooms, it is necessary to water it more often and feed it regularly with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
- At home, harvesting begins when the peas become very large, up to 6 mm. Peas can bear fruit for a long time - within fifty to sixty days. Each individual plant can produce up to 0.5-0.7 kg of tasty green peas.
As you can see, it is not difficult to grow this unpretentious culture on the balcony, but you need to know some of the nuances and observe them. Then you will get amazing results! Good luck!