When is the best time to plant peas?

Peas are one of the most popular vegetables in China. Their young leaves, pods and green beans are all edible and are widely grown in many regions every year. Let’s learn together what is the best time to plant peas?

1. Planting time

Peas are relatively cold-resistant but have poor tolerance to high temperatures. Its optimal growth temperature range is approximately 10℃ to 23℃. For pea seedlings to be eaten in spring, it is suitable to sow them in October; while for pea pods to be eaten in spring, it is recommended to sow them in late October to early November.

2. Sowing techniques

Peas are usually sown directly without transplanting. The sowing method can be wide or narrow row hole sowing or row sowing. When sowing in rows, the wide row spacing is about 70 cm, the narrow row spacing is about 40 cm, and the grain spacing is about 4 cm; when sowing in holes, the row spacing is about 30 cm, 3 to 5 grains are sown in each hole, and the hole spacing is about 15 cm. The sowing density can be adjusted according to soil fertility.

3. Fertilizer and water management

Peas have a short growth cycle and have a greater demand for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium before the end of flowering. Seedlings will emerge about a week after sowing. After emergence, you can use manure water combined with nitrogen fertilizer for irrigation to promote plant growth and branching. When flower buds appear, use manure water combined with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers for irrigation. In the middle and late growth stages, spraying boron fertilizer and molybdenum fertilizer can significantly increase yield. The appropriate concentration of borax is 0.1% to 0.2%, and the concentration of ammonium molybdate is about 0.1%.

Peas like a humid environment, but are afraid of drought and waterlogging. The soil should be kept moderately moist during the growth period to avoid root rot caused by excessive water. The demand for water and nutrients increases during the pod-setting period, and special attention should be paid to the supply of fertilizer and water.

4. Field management

Field management of peas is relatively simple. In addition to regular watering, fertilizing and weeding, edible peas should be put on the shelves in a timely manner. For peas grown in a greenhouse, the temperature should be kept between 16 and 22°C during the day, avoiding night temperatures below 6°C or day temperatures above 25°C to promote the formation of flowers and pods. To ensure the quality of young peas, they should be harvested when the pods are fully grown and the beans have not yet formed, ensuring that the pods remain crisp, green, low in fiber and good in flavor.

5. Pest and disease control

Peas have relatively few diseases and pests. If it occurs, you can use 20 grams of 10% imidacloprid and 6 ml of dichlorvos to control leaf miners, aphids and cabbage loopers. When controlling pests, add 75 to 100 grams of 75% thiophanate-methyl to prevent and control diseases at the same time.

6. Picking at the right time

Peas are mainly picked when the seeds are full and the shell color turns slightly lighter. They can be picked and peeled in batches and put on the market. When picking, hold the bean vine with your left hand to avoid damaging the plant.

The above is an introduction to the planting time and techniques of peas. Planting peas requires choosing the right planting time and doing a good job of field management to ensure the yield of peas.