# How To Plant Garden Peas



## Barbee_Butts (Apr 4, 2010)

I tried something new w/ my peas this year. I planted them in early January. Yeah, January-in zone 8. I figured that they'd come up when conditions were 'right' and guess what??? It worked! (Even w/ a foot of snow in late Feb.)

Now we're eating peas like crazy! Snap peas, snow peas and (green) shell peas. The only thing that's a problem is that I didn't plant enough shell peas. It takes a LOT of pods to make a single serving and I now have a new appreciation for those rows and rows of canned peas on the grocery store shelf.

Something else I do that's weird. I plant my peas right next to my tomatoes. The tomato plants are babies right now and the'll take over that area when I cut out the spent pea vines. That way I get two crops off of 1 row of trellis.
It worked so well last year that I'm doing it again this year. BUT I suspect that I may regret using the same bed this year as last. I'm not so good at crop rotation....


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## Bill_Brikiatis (Feb 9, 2011)

Tee -- I'm thinking about pre-sprouting my peas this year to better my germination rate. I was going to put them between wet paper towels in a warm, but not too warm, place. What do you think? I'm not sure it's a good idea.

I was planning to grow green arrow peas, but still could sow a different variety. What type do you like?


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## Tee (Mar 26, 2009)

Hey Bill - I think pre-sprouting your peas is a great idea. I'm thinking of doing the same. Last year I had a heck of a time getting my pole beans to germinate. I soaked them over night, but ended up needing to re-plant three times before I got a set to germinate. Definitely going to pre-sprout them this season. I didn't have any issues with the peas, but will try it any way.

I like the Green Arrow selection for the peas. I grew them a couple years ago and they produced really well. I am going with Green Arrow and Mr. Big peas this year. Last year I tried Maestro and they produced so-so. Not as good as the Green Arrow variety.


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