Shelling Peas 'Green Arrow' Heirloom - Dwarf (15 seeds)
These slim bright green pods hold up to 11 peas each. The pods measure up to 5" long, and grow on 24" high vines. This shell pea is very easy to grow and thrives in cold weather. This is an excellent freezer variety that is ready in about 70 days.
Though no one really knows when peas were first cultivated, historians can be certain that people grew them for food by the Bronze Age. Legend has it that fresh peas first became popular when a French gardener introduced them to the court of Louis XIV. Because they could be dried and stored for long periods of time, people in colonial times also valued this vegetable. Horticulturalists and gardeners alike have continued cultivating peas of all varieties and sizes.
Approximately 15 seeds per packet.
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SCIENTIFIC NAME: Pisum sativum
CULTURE: Peas are a cool-weather crop. Midsummer pickings are not as prolific as earlier harvests. For best yields ensure adequate fertility and a pH of 6.5-6.8. Adjust pH with ground limestone or wood ashes, ideally in the fall prior to spring planting. Inoculate peas to encourage formation of nitrogen-producing nodules on the plant roots. This enriches the soil, results in larger plants, and increases yield.
DAYS TO MATURITY: From direct seeding.
DIRECT SEEDING: In early spring as soon as the soil can be worked, sow 1 1/2-2" apart in rows 18-36" apart, 1/2-1" deep. Do not thin. Varieties under 3' tall can be sown without support in rows 12-18" apart. For taller varieties, use crop supports such as a trellis net or chicken wire to keep vines upright, easy to pick and off the ground where they are less likely to rot if rainy weather coincides with harvest. Suspend the bottom of the trellis or chicken wire just above the young plants. The best time to install a trellis is at planting time. Normal row spacing is 4-6' for trellised peas. Harvest when peas enlarge in the pods.
FALL CROP: Variety selection is key: Choose powdery mildew-resistant varieties and early maturing varieties that will still flower in diminishing daylight. Sow about 2 months before frost. Keep seeds well-watered to encourage good germination.
DISEASE: A common disease is pea root rot (Fusarium sp. or Aphanomyces euteiches) which causes yellowing and die-back of foliage from the ground up. The best control is to ensure well-drained soil and to rotate crops out of legumes for at least three years. Powdery mildew causes white, powdery mold on the leaves, stems, and pods in hot weather. Choose resistant varieties.