How To: Plant peas in your vegetable garden

There is nothing like fresh vegetables from the garden. Dave Epstein shows us the secrets to planting peas.

We need to order pea seeds or buy them at the store. There are five steps we are going to do to get our peas to grow. First, we are going to soak our seeds overnight. Second, we are going to inoculate the seeds with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Third, we are going to prepare the soil. We need to turn the soil over as it most likely has not been used all winter. By turning the soil over we are putting oxygen back into the soil. Next we are going to place a trellis where we are going to plant the peas. The trellis is going to give the peas support as they grow. Peas usually grow more than 3 feet tall. Insects will eat pea vines that grow along the ground. The trellis will keep them upright and protect them from disease and insects. Put the trellis in before planting the peas. Dig a small ditch around the trellis about 1 inch deep and plant the peas approximately 1 ¬O inches apart. Peas need light, nutrients and water. If they are planted too close they will not get these necessities. Cover the peas with about ¬O inch to an inch of soil.

In 7-14 days we should see the peas starting to grow. If the weather is cold and wet the peas might take a little longer (they can actually rot if weather is too wet and cold) in this case you will have to plant again.