How to grow and care for peas using modern technology

Peas are a common legume with high nutritional value. It is especially valued for its high protein content (from 26 to 30%). In this respect, it can be compared with meat, only vegetable protein is absorbed better by the human body. In addition, peas are rich in carbohydrates, vitamins (groups B, C, A, PP) and microelements (phosphorus, potassium, manganese, iron).

Peas are unpretentious and bear fruit under almost any conditions. But to get a rich harvest, you need to know how peas grow and what are the features of their cultivation.

Peas: characteristics of the culture

Peas (Pisum) are an annual herbaceous plant of the Legume family (Fabaceae) with a weak, round-faceted, lodging creeping stem, growing from 0.2 to 2.5 m in length. There are standard varieties in which the strongly thickened stem does not branch and does not lie down. The branched root system of this crop is of the taproot type and goes deep into the soil. Beneficial nodule bacteria develop on the roots and in the immediate vicinity of them, which absorb and accumulate nitrogen from the air, thereby enriching the soil with it.

Compound pinnate leaves consist of 2-3 pairs of small elongated bluish-green leaf blades. The petiole of each leaf ends in branched thin tendrils, with the help of which the pea clings to a support or neighboring plants. White, pinkish or purple flowers of the moth type are located in the axils of the leaves in 1 or 2 groups. In early ripening varieties, the peduncle appears after 6-7 leaves, in later varieties - after 12-23 (depending on the time of ripeness).

The culture is self-pollinating; a pod develops in place of the flower. A straight or curved cylindrical bean consists of 2 leaves, between which smooth or wrinkled peas (from 3 to 10 pieces) are placed in 1 row. The ripening time for peas can vary (from 55 to 100 days from planting).

All varieties of this crop are divided into 3 groups:

1. Peeling. The inside of the valves is covered with a dense parchment layer and is not eaten. Only green, smooth, shiny peas are used for canning. The most popular varieties are: Alpha, Early 301, Atlant, Vera, Viola, Emerald and others.
2. Sugar (pods). Delicate doors break easily because they do not have an internal leathery-fibrous layer. The beans are juicy, tasty and meaty. The entire pod is used for food. Varieties: Sugar Marrow 6, Inexhaustible 195, Sugar, De Grasse 68-28, Zhegalova 112 and others.
3. Semi-sugar. At first the pods are tender and crispy, the young beans are used together with the leaves. With age, a hard parchment layer appears in the places where the halves are held together. The variety Karaganda 1053 is grown in Russia.

Growing peas of all varieties uses the same technology and is not particularly difficult. But there are a few important points to consider.

Choosing a place to plant peas in the garden

For peas, a sunny, well-lit area, windless and quiet is selected. Strong gusts of wind can break fragile stems. This crop can be placed along a fence or near the wall of a house, along which the stems will climb up. The plant tolerates light partial shade, but bears fruit better and more abundantly when all the foliage is well illuminated by the sun.

Some vegetable growers practice sowing peas in the trunks of large fruit trees (apple trees, pears and others), where a nutritious soil mixture of fertile garden soil and humus is first poured in a layer of at least 10-15 cm. Growing peas in a country house, garden or vegetable garden is possible any beginning gardener, subject to simple rules.

Climatic conditions for growing peas

To obtain an early and abundant harvest, you need to try to create optimal conditions for growing peas. The culture loves good moisture, so for the emergence of friendly shoots, the seeds are planted in moist soil. Good and regular watering will allow the plant to develop quickly and increase productivity. Constant moderate humidity is especially necessary during the period of budding, flowering and fruit set. With a lack of moisture, the pea bush sheds buds and ovaries.

Peas can tolerate short-term drought because the long taproot uses moisture from deep soil layers (more than 1 m). But he does not like close proximity to cold groundwater, as the root system can rot.

This legume is cold-resistant; its seeds germinate already at +5 °C. Seedlings can survive short-term frosts down to -6...-4 °C. During the formation of the ovary, the optimal temperature should be within +13...+15 °C; for rapid growth of beans, a temperature of at least +17...+22 °C is required.

What kind of soil does peas like?

Peas are undemanding in terms of soil composition, but they will develop better and bear fruit more abundantly on loose, moderately moist loams and sandy loams with sufficient phosphorus and potassium content. When digging, it is recommended to add coarse river sand and humus (1 bucket per 1 m²) to heavy clay soil. In sandy soil, which does not retain moisture and fertilizer well, you need to add clay to increase moisture capacity (1 bucket per 1 m²).

The culture prefers soils with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction, so acidic soils must be deoxidized with fluff or dolomite flour (300-400 g per 1 m²). Overly rich and fertilized soils are also harmful to peas, because...excess nutrients provokes rapid growth of tops. In this case, the pods will be small and few in number. For specimens from which seeds for propagation will be collected, the soil is prepared especially carefully.

Peas' Best Neighbors

The yield of a crop is greatly influenced by what plants were cultivated in this place in the previous year. Peas grow well after early potatoes, pumpkins (zucchini, pumpkins, cucumbers), cabbage, and tomatoes. It will feel great in the garden next to corn, nightshades (potatoes), and cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, radishes). Other legumes (beans, chickpeas, soybeans, lentils and others) will be bad predecessors for this crop. With proper crop rotation, peas are planted in the same area no earlier than after 3-4 years.

Features of planting peas in a summer cottage

Peas are cultivated industrially in large volumes in many regions of the Russian Federation; they are grown in Russia, India, Greece, America, Japan, Ukraine and other countries. Over the past few years, our country has taken first place in the export of this crop.

However, when planting this plant in a garden plot or in a vegetable garden, you need to take into account a number of important points and pay special attention to the correct preparation of the soil in the garden bed and pre-treatment of the seed material.

How to prepare the soil for planting peas?

In order for peas to grow faster and begin to bear fruit, experienced vegetable growers recommend preparing a bed for planting peas in advance in the fall. When digging an area, it is necessary to add potassium salt (30-40 g per 1 m²) and superphosphate (50-60 g per 1 m²). The plant responds well to fertilizing the soil with compost or rotted manure (4-5 kg ​​per 1 m²).

This crop does not tolerate fresh manure, but it grows well in the place that was fertilized in the previous year for its predecessors.

Peas need small doses of nitrogenous fertilizers; in the spring, before planting, 2-3 g of ammonium nitrate per 1 m² is added to the ground. Sowing can be done with dry and hatched seeds. With pre-germination, germination will be much higher.

Preparing peas for planting

Preliminary preparation and treatment of pea seeds before planting consists of the following manipulations:

• seed material is sorted, leaving only the highest quality and healthiest (all damaged ones are thrown away);
• seeds are soaked in warm water for 16-20 hours to swell, the liquid is changed every 4-5 hours;
• the water is drained, the seeds are wrapped in a damp cloth and left for 2-3 days until hatching (the cloth is periodically moistened, drying should not be allowed);
• To speed up the appearance of sprouts, you can treat the seeds with any growth stimulant (Epin, Novosil and others).

Before sowing, it is recommended to warm dry peas slightly in a warm (+40...+45 °C) solution of boric acid (1 g per 5 liters of water) for 5-7 minutes. With the industrial method of cultivating peas, the seed material is not soaked, but treated with pesticides (treated) and microelements to enhance resistance to diseases and accelerate the emergence of seedlings.

How to sow peas correctly?

The correct technology for cultivating peas involves the following actions when sowing them:

• in the prepared bed, make several furrows 7-9 cm deep at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other (for tall varieties, the distance between the rows is about 30-35 cm);
• A little mixture of humus and wood ash is poured onto the bottom of each furrow, then sprinkled with soil;
• the furrows are watered abundantly;
• seeds are placed in the furrows to a depth of 5-6 cm, leaving 5-7 cm between them (in heavy, wet soils the planting depth is about 3-4 cm);
• Cover with soil and lightly compact.

To prevent birds from pecking at the crops, it is recommended to cover the bed with a fine mesh or translucent covering material.

Technology of growing peas, features of plant care

Peas, the cultivation and care of which after sowing are especially important, will bear fruit better if all the rules of agricultural technology are observed. The timing of ripening and crop yield are affected by the correct irrigation regime, loosening the soil, removing weeds, as well as tying the bushes to a trellis or support.

First steps after sowing

The technology for growing peas involves planting them in moist soil, since the plant will quickly die if there is a lack of moisture, even before it has time to sprout. In the first time after sowing, it is necessary to carefully monitor the regularity and timeliness of watering. Before budding, water once a week; during flowering and fruiting, watering is carried out at least 2 times every 5-7 days. In dry times, the amount of watering is increased.

Further care of this legume crop in open ground is to provide it with sufficient moisture. This is important throughout the growing season because the fruit appears unevenly. When the pods are already ripening in the lower part of the plant, its top continues to grow and form buds. But excessive moisture is also harmful, as it can provoke the development of fungal diseases.

Soil care

The soil under peas must always be kept in a loose state, since only in this case will the required amount of oxygen reach the roots (with its deficiency, nodule bacteria develop poorly).During the period of active growth, close attention is paid to loosening the row spacing. The first time this procedure is carried out 10-14 days after planting, when young plants reach a height of 6-7 cm and form 5-6 leaves.

The soil between the rows is loosened (harrowed) to a depth of 7-8 cm and the plants are slightly hilled. To avoid damaging the fragile root system of pea bushes, it is recommended to do this before watering, while the soil is still dry. Simultaneously with loosening, weeding is carried out so that weeds do not take away nutrients from the peas. To avoid the formation of a dense earthen crust after watering, the plantings must be loosened and mulched with humus, straw, sawdust or peat.

Features of feeding peas

To increase productivity, stimulate flowering and better ovary formation, pea plantings must be fertilized. Newly emerged seedlings, while nitrogen-fixing bacteria are still not working well, are fed with an infusion of weeds (1 kg of any herb per 1 bucket of water) so that the plants do not suffer from a lack of nitrogen. For the same purpose, the plantings are watered with a solution of mullein (1:10) with the addition of nitrophoska (1 tbsp per 10 liters of water).

During the formation of buds and setting of pods, the crop is fertilized with any mineral complex (30 g per 10 l). When the plant blooms profusely, it is recommended to feed the peas with dry granules (25 g per 1 m²). In the industrial method of cultivating this crop, when it is grown over large areas, varieties that are undemanding in terms of nutrition are used and do not require fertilizing.

Garter bushes

The procedure for tying up bushes is included in the list of mandatory measures for caring for pea crops. If this is not done in time, the weak stems will fall to the ground from the weight of the fruit and their own weight.Lying lashes are not ventilated and can rot, and much less ovaries form on them. When placed vertically, the ground part of the crop warms up well and is blown by the wind, which avoids a large number of diseases.

After the first whiskers appear, when the seedlings reach a height of 7-10 cm, it is necessary to tie up the young plants. There are several ways to install a support:

1. Wooden stakes, metal rods or just branches are stuck along the row at a distance of 1-1.5 m from each other. Between the stakes, a rope or wire is stretched horizontally, on which the whips are placed. The rope stretches along the entire perimeter into several tiers at different heights.
2. A plastic mesh net is installed between 2 adjacent rows, clinging to which the peas will stretch upward.
3. Seeds are sown around the perimeter of the hole, in the center of which a support rod is then placed.
4. Supports (sticks, rods, branches) are simply stuck along the furrows.

Main diseases and pests of peas

Growing peas in open ground is sometimes accompanied by damage to the plantings by various diseases and pests.

Most often, the crop is exposed to the following diseases:

1. Powdery mildew. Develops due to highly dense crops and excess moisture. Loose white spots form on the upper part of the leaf blades, and spores are located on the lower side. The plaque covers the entire green mass, then the stems and leaves die. For treatment, use an infusion of thistle (0.3 kg per 10 liters of water, infuse for 8-10 hours). Spray twice with a break of 5-7 days.
2. Mosaic. The plant develops poorly, the leaves become jagged and curly. An incurable disease, all affected bushes are immediately destroyed.
3. Ascochytaosis.It appears as dark brown edged spots on the leaves. The plant dies. Fruits that have managed to ripen are unsuitable for food.
4. Rust. Yellow spots appear on the surface of the leaf on top, and a characteristic yellow, loose coating containing spores appears on the bottom. The bush grows poorly and dies over time. For control, spraying with Bordeaux mixture (1%) or sulfur-containing preparations is used.

Peas are sometimes attacked by the following insect pests:

1. Pea moth (leaf roller). Caterpillars gnaw and damage peas. To combat, use garlic infusion (20 g per 1 l), a decoction of tomato tops (3 kg per 10 l) and dusting with tobacco dust.
2. Nodule weevil. The insect eats away the growing point (top), the larvae eat the roots and pods. The plantings are sprinkled with wood ash and tobacco.
3. Pea aphid. Sucks juice from all parts of the plant. The stems wither, the flowers fall off. The bushes are washed with a soap solution (250-300 g per 1 bucket of water) and treated with acaricidal preparations (Iskra, Fastak, Fitoverm and others).
4. Pea grain. The larva of the black bruchus beetle overwinters in the seed material, then gnaws through the pods and eats the peas. The fight against it consists of early planting and careful selection of seeds, which are treated before sowing in a solution of table salt (3%). Floating specimens are thrown away.

In case of severe damage, special systemic preparations (fungicides and insecticides) are used. As a preventative measure, it is recommended: compliance with crop rotation, deep autumn plowing, careful destruction of plant residues and good care of plantings.

Peas: how to get a rich harvest

In order to enjoy a bountiful harvest for as long as possible, peas must be harvested in a timely manner.If you do not collect ripe pods on time, the next fruits will ripen later. Regular constant collection stimulates fruiting.

The first pods at the stage of milky ripeness are harvested approximately 21-25 days after flowering. The timing is determined by the variety. Sugar varieties, which are eaten together with the blades, are picked 12-15 days after mass flowering. Fresh green peas of brain varieties are ready in 18-23 days. The lower pods ripen first.

It is better to harvest in the morning, when the air is still cool, then the beans will not wither. Cleaning is done once every 2-3 days in good warm weather and once every 4-5 days in cool and cloudy weather. Experienced gardeners practice sowing peas at different ripening periods and gradually planting seeds in the ground at intervals of 15-20 days. The earlier the planting was done, the earlier the harvest can be obtained.