Peas

1. Sow peas between March and early July. For earlier crops that are ready from May onwards, sow in autumn or late winter (bear in mind you may experience losses from cold weather or mice).

2. Choose a sunny, well-drained spot. Dig in plenty of garden compost, well-rotted manure or mushroom compost before sowing to improve the soil. Use a hoe or spade to make a shallow trench, roughly 22cm wide and 3cm deep. 

3.Sow peas in two parallel lines, spacing the seeds about 10cm apart. Cover the seeds with soil, water well and label the row. The seedlings should appear in one or two weeks.

4. Alternatively, start plants indoors in autumn to avoid seeds being eaten by pests. An easy way to ensure you end up with a straight row is to sow into a length of guttering.

How to care for peas.

To stop plants flopping about on the ground, put supports in place while they’re still young. Peas climb using shoots called tendrils, which they wrap around just about anything they come into contact with, so choose supports that are thin enough for the tendrils to wind around. Large twigs, known as pea sticks, are the traditional choice, but a row of netting makes a good alternative.

How to harvest peas

Peas should be ready to harvest about three months after sowing. Harvest mangetout varieties when they’re just beginning to show signs of peas forming inside the pods. Other types are ready once the pods are swollen with peas.

Pick the pods from the bottom of the plant upwards, as the lowest are the most mature. Use two hands to avoid damaging the plant.

Growing peas: problem solving

Pea moth can lead to an unpleasant infestation of maggots, but the risk is reduced if you sow early (October to mid-February) or late (June and July). You can also cover the crop with horticultural fleece or fine mesh as soon as you transplant the seedlings or see them emerge.

If slugs are a problem, try copper rings, gritty barriers or biological control. It helps if you grow peas in huge pots, but do keep them well watered.

Sow pea seeds indoors

An alternative to sowing peas outdoors is to raise plants under cover. You can then plant them out as soon as space becomes available, and there’s less risk of mice or other pests leaving gaps in your rows. One of the easiest methods is to sow the seeds in a length of guttering, then simply slide the whole row into the ground once the plants are big enough.