Latest / The Beanstalk : A Podcast for Gardeners / Episode 22 – Peas - The Sweethearts of Spring

Transcript

Episode 22 – Peas - The Sweethearts of Spring · The Beanstalk : A Podcast for Gardeners

• 0:28
  Welcome back to the Beanstalk. My name is John, your
• 0:33
  neighborhood garden buddy, and today we're talking about one of
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  the most classic and cheerful crops you can grow, Peas.
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  Whether it's a snap of a sugar pea right off the vine or a bowl
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  of buttery garden peas on the dinner table, peas are one of
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  those crops that always brings a little joy to the garden.
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  Now, I'll be honest, I've had my fair share of success and
• 1:00
  failure with peas over the years.
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  Sometimes they take off and climb like a dream, and other
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  times a sneaky warm spell or aphid outbreak can really test
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  your patience. But that's the beauty of growing
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  them. They're quick, forgiving, and
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  when you get it right, the results are absolutely worth it.
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  Why do we want to grow peas? Peas are one of the first crops
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  you can plant in spring, even before your last frost date, and
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  they're excellent at improving your soil As the games.
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  They fix nitrogen in the soil, meaning they actually give back
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  nutrients to help your next crops grow stronger.
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  They're also versatile. You've got shelling peas, snow
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  peas, and sugar snaps, all with their own flavor profiles and
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  textures. Plus, they can handle cooler
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  weather beautifully, so they're great for extending your grow
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  season earlier or later in the year.
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  Let's take a glance at how to grow peas.
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  Peas prefer cool, moist conditions, ideally when soil
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  temps are between 45 to 70°F. You can direct sow them as soon
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  as the soil can be worked in early spring, sometimes even
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  while there's still a bit of snow melting.
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  They like well drained loamy soil with moderate fertility.
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  Too much nitrogen can actually make them grow more leaves than
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  pods. Aim for full sun and plant them
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  about 1 inch deep and two inches apart, with rows space 12 to 18
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  inches apart. Trellising is your friend here.
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  Even Bush peas benefit from a little support and vining peas
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  absolutely love to climb. Use netting, twine or wire
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  panels. It's not just for looks, it
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  improves air flow and makes harvesting much easier.
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  Keep them evenly watered, especially as pods start
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  forming, and don't let them dry out completely or you'll end up
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  with tough peas and stunted vines.
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  Let's talk about how to harvest peas.
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  Peas are best harvested young and tender.
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  For shelling peas, wait until the pods are plump but still
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  glossy. For snow peas, pick them flat
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  when the peas inside are just starting to show.
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  And for sugar snaps, harvest when they're crisp and rounded.
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  The key check them daily. Once they start producing they
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  mature fast and even a day or two can make the difference
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  between perfect and over ripe. Harvesting also encourages more
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  pod production to keep those vines picked clean and you'll
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  get a longer harvest window. Now for some common pests and
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  problems. Peas can be targeted by aphids,
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  powdery mildew and sometimes root rot if the soil stays too
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  wet. Keep an eye out for distorted or
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  sticky leaves, a sure sign of aphids, and treat with a blast
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  of water or insecticidal soap. Crop rotation is key for
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  avoiding soil borne issues. Avoid planting peas or other
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  legumes in the same spot more than once every three years.
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  Birds also like to dig up newly planted pea seeds.
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  A bit of row cover can go a long way during germination.
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  Let's cover some companion planting tips.
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  Peas play well with others. They make great companions for
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  carrots, turnips, radishes, cucumbers, and lettuces.
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  These crops benefit from the nitrogen peas fixed in the soil,
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  and peas appreciate the shade that taller crops can offer as
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  the weather warms up. Avoid planting peas near onions,
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  garlic, or leeks. These alliums can stunt pea
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  growth and affect nitrogen fixing due to their root
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  chemistry. You can also use pea vines as a
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  living trellis for smaller crops.
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  Once the peas die back, just cut the vines at the soil line.
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  Their roots will continue feeding nitrogen back into your
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  soil. Let's focus in on some seed
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  saving tips. Saving pea seeds is wonderfully
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  simple. Allow a few pods to mature fully
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  on the vine until they're dry and tan.
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  When you shake them, you should hear the peas rattle around
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  inside. Once dried, shell them and let
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  the seeds air dry for another week or two before storing.
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  Keep them in a cool, dark and dry place.
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  A sealed jar with a desiccant packet works great.
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  Pea seeds can remain viable for up to three to four years if
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  stored properly. Just make sure not to save seeds
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  from hybrid varieties if you want predictable results year
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  after year. Now for the pros and cons of
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  peas. First up is the pros.
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  Peas fix nitrogen and improve soil quality.
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  They are easy to grow in cool weather.
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  They're great for succession planting and peas are a
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  delicious, versatile crop. And last is the cons.
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  Peas don't tolerate heat well, they have a short harvest
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  window, they are susceptible to aphids and mildew, and peas need
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  trellising or support. Now for the best part.
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  The recipe Creamy Parmesan and Pea risotto.
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  Let's take your harvest and make something truly comforting.
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  Creamy parmesan and pea risotto. Firstly, the ingredients 1 1/2
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  cups of rice, one small onion diced, 4 cups of vegetable
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  broth, One Cup fresh shelled peas or snap peas, chopped, 1/2
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  cup grated parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons of butter, one
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  tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
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  And now for the cooking instructions.
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  In a saucepan, warm your broth and keep it on low.
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  In another pan, saute the onion in olive oil until it's
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  translucent. Add the rice and stir for a
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  minute or so to coat it with the oil.
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  Begin adding warm broth, one ladle at a time, stirring
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  constantly. Continue until the rice is
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  creamy and tender, about 20 to 25 minutes or so.
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  Add the peas, butter and Parmesan, and stir gently until
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  everything's well combined. Season with your salt and pepper
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  and serve immediately. The sweet pop of the peas
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  against that creamy rice is heavenly.
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  It's spring comfort food at its finest.
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  Now it's time for some fun facts about peas.
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  The oldest known pea ever discovered was found in an
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  Egyptian tomb. Over 3000 years old, Thomas
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  Jefferson grew over 30 varieties of peas at Monticello.
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  In medieval times, peas were a staple food for the poor, often
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  eaten as pea soup. The phrase, like 2 peas in a
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  pod, dates back to the 16th century.
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  Green peas are actually a fruit by botanical definition, since
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  they develop from flowers and contain seeds.
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  There's even a World Pea shooting Championship held
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  annually in Witcham, England. Now let's enter the garden nerds
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  corner. Let's talk nitrogen fixation
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  magic for a second. Peas form nodules on their roots
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  filled with symbiotic bacteria. Ryzobium that pull nitrogen
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  straight out of the air and store it in the soil.
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  This process enriches the garden naturally, reducing your need
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  for fertilizer and helping neighboring plants to thrive.
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  You can actually inoculate bee seeds with Rezobian bacteria
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  before planting for even better results, especially in new
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  garden beds or pots. It's like giving your peas a
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  head start in their underground teamwork.
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  And that's a wrap on this episode of The Beanstalk.
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  Peas are one of the most charming, generous plants you
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  can grow. Easy, rewarding, and a perfect
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  early season crop to bring your garden back to life.
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  If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow The Beanstalk on
• 11:51
  Spotify and Facebook and let me know how your peas are doing
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  this year. Whether you're growing a few
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  vines on a balcony or a whole patch in the yard, those little
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  green pods pack a big punch of joy.
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  Until next time, happy gardening.
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  May your vines climb high and your pods stay sweet.
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  From our patch to yours, keep on climbing.