Planting Peas Signal Start of Spring

Peas are the first crop to be planted for the gardening season and signal one of the first signs that spring is here.
Since I’ve been wishing for the cold and snow to go away since around the time it started (December), any symbol of spring is okay with me, not to mention the fact that I love fresh peas!
So, I figure I’ll take a shot at this pea planting thing even though I seem to lack a green thumb.

After doing a bit of research, I found that depending on where you are located, you can start your crop as early as the middle of March.
In fact, I had a college professor who said her father had a rule that the spring pea crop was to be planted on St. Patrick’s day each year.
Not sure if this had to do with the fact they are a green veggie, but she said the strategy always worked.

I don’t have a lot of space so I’m not going to have a large crop–plus I decided I’d give this a try on a smaller scale and see how it turns out before investing too much energy and time.
The pea "seeds" are the actual peas themselves (makes sense!) and you must plant them 1 inch deep and 3-4 inches apart.
It is recommended to use some kind of mulching material in order to help keep moisture around the plants as peas love water.
You can also expect that your plants will grow tall so you have to provide some kind of support for the vines to attach.
Wooden stakes with netting is one option, but I’m going with basic chicken wire.
Once the plants grow up the wire it takes about 3 weeks for white flowers and pea pods to appear.

It all sounds pretty straightforward so I’m making my way outdoors this weekend to plant some peas.
Who knows, maybe I can even get my kids to show some interest and help out …

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