Pea

Peas of all types are among the most coveted of spring vegetables. Peas are a cool-season crop, best grown in spring or fall in most regions. The three main types of garden peas are based on pod type. Most varieties grow best when trellised or trained on a fence.

Green peas, also called English, pod, or shell peas, are best picked just an hour or two before serving before their sugars can convert to starches. Be sure to plant plenty, because after all the shelling, there's almost never enough to sate everyone. Tender, sweet spring peas are a treat that's hard to get enough of.

Increasingly popular are snap peas, which bear plump, tender pods that are eaten pod and all. They're gaining fans because they don't need time-consuming shelling and no part of the pod goes to waste.

A favorite for years have been snow peas, which produce flat, tender pods that are eaten before the peas inside the pod swell to full size. They're great in stirfries and Asian dishes.

Light:

Sun, Part Sun

Plant Type:

Vegetable

Plant Height:

1-7 feet tall

Plant Width:

6-12 inches wide

Top Varieties

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'Maestro' pea is a 2-foot-tall shelling pea that is resistant to powdery mildew and enation virus, the two most serious disease problems to attack peas. Pods are ready to harvest 60 days after planting.
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'Oregon Giant' snow pea grow 3 feet tall, and bears tender flat pods on disease-resistant plants 60 days from planting.
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'Sugar Ann' peas need no staking. The 2-foot-tall plants bear 3-inch pods in just 52 days.
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'Sugar Snap' pea is the granddaddy of snap pea varieties and still one of the best. The 6-foot-tall vines produce extra-sweet pods and peas 68 days from planting. Pods produce a tough string that must be removed before eating.
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'Wando' pea is an heirloom shelling pea with good heat tolerance. The 3-foot-tall plants take 68 days to bear.
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