- Can I plant two crops of peas in Victoria?
Edible Peas (Pisum sativum) are a member of the Fabaceae family and are cool weather plants. There are various types – shelling peas, sugar peas and snow peas which are eaten at different stages of development.
Peas like the cooler weather of Spring or Fall. Plant the seeds in early in spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Optimal soil temperature is 10-20°C (50-70°F) and the ideal planting time is approximately four to six weeks before the average last predicted frost date, which for the Victoria area is normally mid-April.
If planting on the west coast after April 1 and if you live in an area where aphids carry the Pea Enation Mosaic Virus (your local nursery will know if you are in one of those areas), sow varieties that are listed as being ‘enation resistant’ such as ‘Cascadia’, ‘Oregon Trail’ and ‘Maestro’. There is no need to soak seeds as spring soils are usually quite damp.
Peas grow best in areas with full sun and deep, well-draining, organic soils with a pH range of 6.0 to 7.0. If necessary, add horticultural limestone to 'sweeten' acidic soils before planting. Sow seed 6.5 cm (2.5″) apart and 1.25 – 2.5 cm (½” – 1″) deep. Since germination occurs best when soil temperatures are relatively cool, planting early will ensure the best chance of success. Seeds should sprout in 7-14 days. Once sprouted, the plants generally require minimal care. Since most pea varieties are vining plants, they will need the support of plant stakes or a trellis system. If late season frost or snow is predicted covering the plants to protect them from being broken down by snow is always a good idea. Peas have good cold tolerance but should be protected from the wind. There is really no advantage to starting pea seeds indoors unless a really late spring is predicted, and the soil is likely to be very late warming up to the appropriate temperatures. Indoor seedlings can become ‘leggy’ quite quickly with long straggly stems which are very susceptible to breakage when being handled and transplanted outdoors.
There are many ‘companion’ plants that grow well with peas such as beans, carrots, celery, corn, cucumber, peppers, potatoes, spinach, and strawberries but avoid planting them near any member of the onion family.
Peas can be sown again in August for a fall crop. The success of a fall crop will depend on the weather as peas struggle in hot late summer temperatures. These plants will need frequent watering and plenty of mulch to keep the soil cooler. As our summers on the west coast are becoming hotter and drier, a fall crop may become more of a challenge.
It will be necessary to check the weather forecast for warning of an earlier than usual frost as mature plants are not as hardy as young spring plants and will need frost protection or harvesting.
How to calculate the planting date for fall peas in your area:
- Look at the days to maturity noted on your seed packet.
- Add 10 more days to that total (to allow for decreasing amount of sunlight in the fall).
- Find your expected 1st frost date (usually around November 10th in Victoria).
- Count back from the frost date the number of days you came up with in step two.
- The result is your latest planting date for fall peas.
For example, if the maturity date on the packet is 65 days that would be 65+10 days = 75 days to maturity. If the expected first frost is November 10th, then counting back 75 days would give you the latest planting date for the general Victoria area of August 27th.
Although relatively hardy and easy to care for there are some diseases & pests that can affect peas:
- If plants turn yellow and wither from the ground up just after flowering, it may be Pea Root Rot from a soil fungus. It infects the plant in early spring when the soil is very wet. Prevent it by delaying planting until the soil is drier and by using finished compost when you plant. Rotate peas into new areas each year without repeating an area for 3-4 years.
- The Pea Moth is a sporadic and usually inconspicuous pest. The tiny brown moth flutters around when the flowers are just opening and lays its eggs on the immature seed pod. The damage the caterpillar does doesn’t mean you can’t eat the rest of the peas in the pod. The larva is a tiny caterpillar with a black head, which feeds inside the seedpod and overwinters in the soil. There is one generation per year across Canada.
- Pea Enation Mosaic Virus kills non-resistant varieties of peas. Enation is a virus which is spread by the Green Peach aphid, and it only takes one aphid to infect a plant. When the weather warms up, the aphids become active and this often coincides with the peas starting to set pods. When a plant becomes infected, its pods become warty-looking and rather woody. Soon after, the plants die. There is no practical way to control enation other than investing in resistant varieties of peas. Check with your local nursery or extension office to see if aphids carry the enation virus in your area and which varieties are known to be resistant.
- Powdery Mildew is common on peas, particularly in late summer.
Sources:
https://depts.washington.edu/hortlib/pal/growing-peas-in-the-fall/
https://garden.org/learn/articles/view/383/Peas-for-Fall/
https://www.westcoastseeds.com/blogs/wcs-academy/grow-peas
https://garden.org/learn/articles/view/383/Peas-for-Fall/
My own vegetable garden.
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