The prevalence of peas in gardens is due to its high nutritional value, as well as a simple cultivation technology. Not only is it undemanding to the composition of the soil, it also enriches it with nitrogen itself due to nodule bacteria, which form entire clusters on the roots. Isn't that a good crop to plant? The most important thing in growing is to know how and when to plant peas in open ground, because it is not customary to plant seedlings. In addition, the modern seed market provides a choice of a fairly large number of varieties. It is necessary to navigate correctly in such a variety.
Sugar peas
This variety is characterized by the fact that, in addition to peas, the leaf pods in which they are enclosed are also edible. Such varieties, as a rule, are most appreciated by gardeners. The pods do not have a hard parchment layer. The ripened seeds seem to be somewhat wrinkled, as they contain a lot of moisture in the grains. Compared to peeling peas, this group is more demanding on growing conditions (fertility and soil moisture, heat), and is also more susceptible to diseases and pests. Varieties of sugar peas are used in industrial canning, as they boil for much longer. In addition, they are very susceptible to freezing.
Be sure to carefully read the package, it always indicates when to plant the peas in open ground.
Peas
Varieties of this group have hard leaf pods with a pronounced parchment layer. For food purposes, only seeds are used that, when mature, contain a lot of starch. This leads to the fact that in dry form they are very quickly boiled. Therefore, peeling peas are used to make soups. And the one that is collected at the stage of technical ripeness goes for canning and freezing.
Pea varieties
The most common varieties of sugar peas:
- early ripe: Ambrosia, Oregon, Children's sugar, Miracle of Kelvedon;
- mid-season: Zhegalova 112, Moscow delicacy;
- later: Inexhaustible 195.
The most common varieties of peeling peas:
- early ripe: Faith, Sphere, Misty, Hezbana;
- mid-season: Asana, Abador, Vinko, Sherwood, Ashton;
- later: Era, Pecan, Twin, Nicholas, Matron.
The time when you plant the peas in open ground with seeds depends on which variety you prefer. Every year, dozens of new varieties appear on the market, including zoned ones. For Siberia, as a rule, mid-ripening varieties are used, such as Sugar, May 13, Henry.
Planting seeds: preparing the soil for peas
This plant loves warmth and sunlight, therefore, the place must be selected appropriate, preferably without drafts and strong winds. This representative of legumes does not require abundant fertilization. If you have pre-determined the place for planting, it is better to add mineral preparations and organics in the fall. Or, knowing when to plant peas in open ground in your region, you can do this a week before the expected date. If loamy or sandy soil prevails on your site, then before digging it is advisable to add humus or compost (per 1 sq.m. 5-6 kg).
Preparing seeds for sowing
There can be two ways of sowing seeds: dry or with short-term soaking. First, pea seeds must be sorted before planting, sorted, cleaned, broken and spoiled. All those that are suitable should be soaked in a weak hot (40 ° C) solution of boric acid (dissolve one gram per 5 liters of water). Duration of soaking - 5-8 minutes. Thanks to this method of treatment, you prevent damage to the roots by larvae of the nodule weevil. After soaking, the seeds should be removed on a paper towel, dried a little, and then proceed to planting.
You can use dry peas, only the soil must first be watered, and the top of the bed should be covered with special covering material.
When to plant peas in open ground?
The timing of pea sowing depends, first of all, on the temperature of the soil, the time when it warms up. Pea sprouts already at + 2-3 ° C and even withstands return frosts. That's just the roots still need warm soil. Since the country is large, and spring comes with a noticeable lag in terms of time, the landing time varies greatly. To the question of when to plant peas in open ground in the suburbs, any gardener will answer you that as soon as the snow melts and the earth dries out, around the twentieth of April. In general, everything is strictly individual, because spring can also be protracted. After planting, peas must be covered with something. Firstly, to preserve moisture, and secondly, so that the birds do not glue.
To the question of when to plant peas in open ground in the Urals, the answer is similar. The earth, as a rule, warms up in early May (until the 10th). Freezing is still possible at this time, but the plant will withstand them. Landing dates in Siberia are shifted by about 2 weeks, that is, by the middle or end of May.
How to plant peas: planting pattern
All experienced and not very gardeners are probably familiar with the concept of "predecessors." It refers to the cultures that grew on this site last year. So, the cultivation of peas in the open ground should be carried out where the predecessors were representatives of nightshade (potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes) and pumpkin.
The bed should not be too high, about 15-20 cm. The soil on it must first be dug up well, leveled and watered. Make furrows on the bed, the distance between them should be 20-25 cm. It is better to sow pea seeds dry. Leave a gap between the grains of about 10 cm. The embedment depth is 2.5-3 cm (birds can peck at the smaller). As a rule, seedlings appear after about 5-7 days. When they are uniform and friendly, it is necessary to loosen the soil, but only slightly so as not to damage the young plants. Growing peas in open ground (photos are given in the article) requires periodic application of mineral fertilizers (phosphorus and potash). Do it at the time of flowering culture. For irrigation, one tablespoon of nitrophoska is diluted in 10 liters of water (consumption per 1 sq. M - 5 liters).
Plant care during the summer
Basic pea care during the growing season is quite simple. Two weeks after the emergence of seedlings, it is necessary to loosen them repeatedly and even lightly spud. You need to take care of pegs or peas. This must be done, otherwise, as the plants grow, they will gradually fall to the ground, especially after a strong wind or rain. Such lodging slows down growth, flowering, and then the ripening of the crop, moreover, it will be extremely inconvenient to collect it. Garter can be done in the same way as in the photo, using a wooden frame and mesh, or just set up pegs and tie up plants as they grow.
Growing peas in open ground involves frequent and plentiful watering. Approximate consumption - 1 bucket of water per square meter. Growing peas is the very case when the drip irrigation system will come in handy. The plant is quite fragile, so you need to water it under the root.
The first pods can be tasted already 2 weeks after flowering. To increase productivity, experts recommend collecting peas during the ripening period daily. Tear off the pods from the bushes carefully and only the most suitable, and dried up must be removed immediately.
Pest and Disease Control
The dangers of being affected by fungal diseases or any pests are affected by all plants, including peas. As they say, warned, then armed. Danger must be known in person.
The most important pest is the leafworm larvae, they can quickly gnaw greens, and also damage the pods. For prevention, pea beds can be treated with infusion of tobacco, burdock root, celandine, tomato tops or garlic.
Of the fungal diseases, powdery mildew is the most dangerous . If you do not want to use various chemicals, then you can use folk methods, they are also natural. From mildew helps infusion of field sow thistle, aged for 8-10 hours. Spraying is carried out twice with an interval of one week.
Thus, we found out when to plant peas in open ground in Siberia, the Urals or in the suburbs. The terms are extremely approximate, and we must individually focus on the weather in each region. Peas - unpretentious culture, but very useful for both humans and your site. At the place of its cultivation for the next year, it will be possible to plant any other culture, which will undoubtedly affect its growth.