Get Those Trowels Ready

March is only a month away and that means it will be pea planting time.  These early in the season crops are easy to plant and yield a crunchy treat that is perfect in salads and stir fry or simply eaten right off the vine.

“We do them in containers in a very no fuss way,” said the founder of the Fairfield Green Food Guide, Analiese Paik.  Paik is all about sustainable living and although she is not an expert gardener, she knows quite a bit about the craft and is looking forward to the upcoming planting season.  “I’m just a backyard gardening enthusiast who can’t wait for St. Patty’s Day to plant my peas.”

According to the website www.bonsaigardener.com, the legumes are fairly lenient about the soil quality that they are planted in; however snow peas are susceptible to root rot and powdery mildew if placed in soil that does not drain well.  It’s best to plant snow peas once the soil is thawed enough so that it can be worked, in an area that is mostly full sun, but that also receives a bit of shade during the hottest midday hours. 

Paik plants her snow peas in containers filled with well composted soil.  “Temperatures should be between 50-60 degrees for the seeds to germinate,” said Paik.  “Some people like to sprout the seeds before planting to ensure one hundred percent yield. We take a more casual approach and live with whatever sprouts. It’s a great lesson for the kids about nature and reinforcing that perfectionism is not the goal.”  Snow peas should be picked when they are still flat and not bulging. 

Snow peas excel in their ease of care and do not need to be fertilized.    The Bonsai Gardener website explains that legumes make their own fertilizer and are often used as cover crops for this purpose. 

For snow pea purchasing information visit Johnny’s Selected Seeds of Winslow, Maine at www.johnnyseeds.com/search.aspx?SearchTerm=snow+peas.