Planting peas

It’s the perfect time to start planting peas in your garden! Peas thrive in cooler weather, and do best in temperatures of 65 to 70 degrees. 

We chose to plant Organic Sugar Snap Peas from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, in Fairfield, Maine. “For 48 years Johnny’s has set the standard for high seed quality, meeting or exceeding federal minimum requirements for germination rates, pathogen testing, and traceability.”

We inoculated the peas at the time of planting. We used an inoculant from Pinetree Garden Seeds in New Gloucester, Maine. This product is added to the soil just before putting in the seeds, other products suggest soaking the seeds in moistened inoculant overnight. This process improves the growth and production of peas through the introduction of rhizobia bacteria. 

Next, we prepared the garden bed by removing all the old roots and weeds, and raking the soil to loosen it up. We used two panels of extra lattice we had on hand to make a trellis so the peas have somewhere to climb as they grow.

Finally, we planted the peas! We planted two rows of peas, about 1-2 inches apart. We covered them loosely with landscaping cloth to keep out unwanted critters. 

Now, the peas will need a deep watering once a week, and it will take about 6-8 weeks until they are ready to harvest.

-Jenny