Here are some photographs i have taken of each stage of the pea growing season to help you to identify what your crop should look like as it grows and matures through to when they are ready for harvesting plus a few ideas for supporting your crop.

The pea crop

 Pea support ideas

Peas are a tiny, plump, round, green seed full of yummy tastiness. As a vegetable to grow at home they can be a little temperamental however they are worth the effort just so that you can pick and eat them straight off the bush. In addition to this pea shoots make a tasty addition to a salad. Peas;

• can be a challenge to grow, you should follow the guidelines carefully to get a good crop
• may not produce a large crop per plant so for a large harvest you will need plenty of space
• can be sown in succession for a steady harvest over a period of time
• taste at their best when just picked so best picked and eaten quickly
• are very easy to freeze and taste almost as good from the freezer as they do fresh

Personally I think peas are best eaten raw straight out of the pod, preferably just after the pod has been picked. They are at their best at this point because the natural sugars quickly turn to starch so the sweetness will fade. Shop bought fresh peas in their pods will never taste as good as home grown for this very reason. They are also one of those fun vegetables to harvest because the pods really do go pop, The challenge is to see how loud a pop your pod makes and how many peas are hidden inside. I rarely have trouble getting help poding peas.

Brits eat a huge amount of peas. They were the first vegetable to be successfully tinned and frozen. Producers of frozen peas aim to shell and process within hours to capture that fresh sweetness which means they taste almost as good as freshly picked when defrosted. They are regularly served up in pubs and restaurants as, unlike some frozen vegetables, peas defrost and cook well from frozen without going sloppy or hard and unpleasant. In fact defrosted frozen peas tast great without additional cooking.

There are many different varieties and each has it's place. As you can succession sew you get first earlies, second earlies and main crop. First earlies can also be sewn late into July for an Autumn crop. Some varieties are grown for their pods rather than the peas. I am referring to Mange Tout and Asparagus peas here, which are equally tasty and can be stored without a great loss of flavour, but they are not quite so much fun. Then of course there are the big fat dried marrowfat peas which make the best mushy peas ever, a must for my fish and chips.

Timings for the best crop

• Early varieties can be sewn into the ground in November to over winter and produce peas in May.
• In general it is best to start your seeds off between March and June, for a late crop in October plant first early seeds in Early July.
• Seeds can be sewn direct in late spring but for best results on an early crop grow the seeds indoors in deep paper pots, the roots do not like to be disturbed.
• You should see the tips starting to show within 10 days.
• Seedlings sewn indoors March to early May will need to be 5 cm tall and hardened off before you plant them out, be mindful of slugs.
• Your crop should be ready to start harvesting between June and October The first frosts will kill off your late plants so don't plan fresh peas for Christmas day, frozen will be equally good.

Time to enjoy peas!

Pea plants need to climb. They produce tiny twisting tendrils which hook onto the support and off they go. The key word here is TINY. Unlike runner beans, which twine around their supports, pea supports need to be much finer for the tendrils to be able to catch, this is why many growers use nets. Traditionally though hazel was used, it is ready to coppice at the right time of year and produces thin stems which are just the right size. The main advantage with hazel is it is much easier to strip of the dead plants once they have finished copping and can be used for making insect homes. Netting can be reused but is not particularly strong so may start to fall apart when you strip the used plants away, it is also not biodegradable. Whatever you choose to use the supports need to be approx 1.5 meters high and built in a wigwam or tunnel.

Planning your crop

When planning your crop a single packet of seeds should produce a 4.5 meter log row and depending upon the variety should yield between 4 and 12 meals for a family of 4. You will get a better crop from a taller variety as there is more room to grow more pods. If you are short of space and want more plants Peas will grow nicely in containers. Remember that the plants can grow up to 1.5 meters tall so you need to think about position in the bed, you do not want to shade out the rest of your veg.

Soil preparation

For the best results peas need a well drained soil. Early varieties in particular will be more likely to fail if the seeds are planted in soggy soil as they tend to rot. Dig over the plot a few weeks before you plan to sew and add some well rotted manure or compost.

Sewing the seeds

Sew the seeds in a drill approx 10 cm wide and 5cm deep. Stagger the seeds 5cm apart so that you have a diamond patterned row then loosely cover with soil and water them in. The plants will grow and mesh together, this is fine. Always sew a few spares as there will be a number of seeds that fail to germinate or plants that get slugged. Remember, if you are planning to grow different pea varieties, you will need to write up plant labels or markers to remind you which variety is which.

Maintaining a healthy crop

Once the plantlets start to show and before they get to more than 10 cm tall push in your supports, the sooner they start to climb the safer the plants will be from slugs. Early plantlets will benefit from the protection of a cloche. Use short twigs to support the early plantlets then erect the main supports once the cloche is no longer necessary.

Once your plantlets get going you will need to keep weeds at bay and keep them moist. Apply a mulch and water regularly in dry weather. You will be rewarded with beautiful pea flowers and before long a crop of flat pods with the promise of big fat juicy peas.

Hints and tips

• Once your plants have established 2 sets of true leaves pinch out the tops. This encourages a more vigerous and bushy plant
• Pea shoots are extremely tasty added to salads so dont compost the shoots you pinch out, eat them. If you want to grow pea shoots especailly for salads go to the eat peas section for more information.
• Slugs also like pea shoots. If the young crop is munched they may well shoot again so do not despair, however it might be handy to sew a few spare plants just in case.
• Peas do not continue to produce flowers once the pods produce their seeds. Plant new seeds every few weeks for a continuous crop if you have space
• If you want to grow your own seeds for next year leave a few pods to mature on the plants then dry and store untill needed

Happy growing!

Your peas will be ready to harvest once the pods have grown to their full length and started to fill out. Unless you have x-ray vision determining the point that they have filled out enough is something you need to do by touch as well as sight. The pods will feel round and ridged as the peas inside swell. You are looking for a point when the peas inside are large enough to fill out the pod and not so big they become compacted, although if this happens it is not a problem. You will probably get a few pickings as the pods will mature over the course of 2 weeks. The flowering process will stop as the peas are allowed to get too maturity and so the plants will quickly become exhausted, regular picking of younger peas will extend the season slightly.

Mange tout peas will need to picked earlier in the growing process as you are after the flat pods which contain the immature pea buds. Cropping should start once the pods get to 4 or 5 cm long.

Harvesting your crop

When harvesting, in all cases, you are harvesting the pods, removing the peas is a separate process. The pods should be held in one hand and the plant stem in the other hand. Pull the pod firmly upwards and away from the plant, the supporting hand will make sure the plant is not damaged in the process.

Before you pick off the last of your peas it is worth considering whether to leave some to mature for next years plants. If you choose to do this leave the pea pods on the plant and they will slowly dry out and go brown. Pick them off and leave the pods to fully mature and dry, remove the pea seeds and store in a cool dry place till next sewing season.

When your plants have been stripped of their produce it is time to pull them up. The roots hold plenty of nitrogen so cut the stems just above the soil surface and dig the roots in. Detach the stems from the plant supports and add them to your compost heap. If the supports are suitable for another season then store them until needed.

What to do with your harvest

It is always best to remove the peas from the pods as soon after picking as possible. Hold the pod between your thumb and forefinger resting your thumb on the under, rounded side on the seam, just above the last pea. Press firmly and the two pod halves will separate with a pop. Open the pod and remove the peas into a bowl, check and remove any peas that look as if they have been nibbled. The pods can be used for wine and, you guesed it, compost.

How to store them

• Fresh - Peas are best eaten within a few hours of being picked, If you must store them then remove them from the pods and keep them in a airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Frozen - Peas freeze extremely well, although in our house we have never yet had enough spare for the freezer. to freeze, blanch the peas in boiling water for 2 mins, dunk them in cold water to stop the cooking process, divide into portions and bag them up, put them in the freezer as soon as they are cool enough.
• Dried - dried peas are great for making mushy peas or adding to soups and stews. If you plan to dry your peas leave the pods on the plants to dry out, if the weather is seriously wet lift the plants and hang them in a cool dry place until the pods are mature and brown. Remove the peas from the pods and store in an airtight container, they will need to be soaked in water before you use them.
• Preserves - Peas will make a great addition to pickles and chutneys.
• Canned and bottled - I'd leave this to the experts unless you have a seriously large harvest and a seriously small freezer.

Happy harvesting!