Knowledge of how to plant peas in closed ground will be useful to any greenhouse owner. If you are a small fan of pea dishes, then you should plant it as green manure. Intensive use of a greenhouse requires constant care for the condition and health of the greenhouse soil.
Rules for pea crop rotation in a greenhouse
By planting the same vegetables in a greenhouse, summer residents deplete the soil; harmful microorganisms and pest larvae characteristic of a particular crop (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers) accumulate in it.Peas are a vegetable crop with which you can enrich the soil with nutrients and get rid of accumulated infections.
This is a cold-resistant vegetable, so early ripening varieties can be planted in the greenhouse at the beginning of April. And in the summer, after harvesting the early harvest, plant more heat-loving crops instead:
- tomatoes;
- cucumbers;
- zucchini;
- peppers.
The vegetable will not only delight summer residents with early, healthy pods, it will perform all the functions of green manure in improving the health of the soil.
What soil is suitable for peas?
The crop does not grow well in acidic soil with a pH level <7. If the soil in your greenhouse is acidic, then without liming it will not be possible to grow strong plants. The first signs of bad soil: thin, frail stems and small pods.
Using litmus paper, find out the pH level of the soil and, if necessary, carry out liming: add 350 g of lime per square meter. Lime can be replaced with other preparations: dolomite flour, chalk. Wood ash also reduces acidity. The crop grows poorly on sandy soil and salt licks. Soil qualities that have a positive effect on the harvest:
- high humus content;
- good air and moisture conductivity;
- no stagnation of water.
Loamy soil would be ideal for vegetables; it is quite fertile and retains moisture moderately.
Choosing a variety for the greenhouse
Before purchasing seed material, you need to understand the varieties of peas and their intended use. There are three types:
- sugar;
- semi-sugar;
- peeling
Sugar and semi-sugar varieties form tender, juicy pods, which are used fresh and as a raw material for canning and freezing. Peas dried, its main purpose is to prepare soups.
Another characteristic that is taken into account when choosing a pea variety is the ripening period. To get several pea harvests in a greenhouse per season, this is taken into account and varieties are selected:
- early;
- mid-season;
- late.
Popular among the early ones are: Berkut, Yantar, early Gribovsky, Vera, Premium. Of the mid-season varieties, the most common are: Winner, Viola, Emerald. Late varieties that gardeners and farmers plant: Atlant, Late-ripening brain.
Seed treatment
Two methods are used for planting seeds in greenhouse soil:
- dry;
- soaked.
Both options have the same goal - to speed up the harvest. When planted with dry seeds, the plants at the first stage lag behind in growth, as they take longer to germinate, but then stronger and more productive bushes grow from them.
How to properly soak peas for planting:
- Dissolve 1 tbsp in a glass of water. l. salt and soak all the selected seeds, the bad ones float, the good ones sink to the bottom, they need to be used for planting;
- the next stage will take 12 hours, the pea seeds are completely filled with warm water, changing it every 3 hours;
- Before planting, the water is drained and the peas are wrapped in cotton cloth to dry.
Disembarkation
There are two goals for growing peas in a greenhouse:
- getting an early harvest;
- improving soil structure.
Planting seeds
The prepared seeds are planted in a greenhouse in early April. Mark furrows 3 cm deep, leaving 20–25 cm between them. Water them with warm water. The seeds are planted after the soil has settled after watering. The planting step is 5 cm. The planting depth is at least 3 cm.
If the distances between rows are wider than 25 cm, then planting peas combine with other crops:
- salad;
- radishes;
- leaf parsley.
Transplanting
To grow seedlings you need 3 weeks, a box for seedlings, garden soil taken from a garden bed and the seeds themselves. Sow peas thickly, cover with a 3 cm layer of soil. Caring for seedlings:
- watering;
- natural or artificial lighting;
- fertilizing with microfertilizers.
At the age of 3 weeks, seedlings can be planted in a permanent place.
Temperature
High temperatures deteriorate the quality of peas and their productivity. To plant seeds in a greenhouse, the optimal soil and air temperature should be no more than 12 °C. Don't plant peas in the summer heat, it won't do any good. For autumn consumption or soil improvement, you can sow peas in late August. In spring, peas are sown from March to April; they can withstand temperatures as low as -6 °C.
To grow pods for freezing, you should choose early-ripening sugar and semi-sugar varieties. Caring for peas is not difficult, but to obtain high-quality pods, you must not skip the harvesting time; overripe pods lose their nutritional value.
Watering
This is a moisture-loving crop. The soil should always be moderately moist. It is not recommended to overdry it - the quality of the fruit deteriorates. In hot weather, the volume of watering is increased. To prevent the stems from rotting, stakes are installed along the ridge or a net is stretched.
For medium-sized varieties, supports 1 m high are sufficient; for tall peas, the support is placed higher (1.5 m). Low-growing species do without stakes. Water the plants at the roots. In the intervals between waterings, loosen the soil, simultaneously removing weeds.
Top dressing
Fertilizers are applied to the soil during planting. The soil is dug deep (30 cm) and added:
- 4 kg of humus;
- potassium salt 1 tbsp. l.;
- superphosphate 1 tbsp. l.
It is better to prepare liquid fertilizer from urea (1 tablespoon per bucket of water) and water the soil before sowing.
Diseases and pests
The main disease is powdery mildew. It is better to fight it using folk methods. Pea plantings can be sprayed with infusion of field sow thistle. To prepare the infusion, you need to take 300 g of crushed leaves, add 10 liters of water and leave for 10 hours. The treatment must be repeated after 7 days.
Among the pests you need to be wary of are leaf rollers; their caterpillars destroy the tender leaves of young plants and pods. Save from insects:
- early planting of seeds;
- deep digging of the soil in the fall;
- tobacco dust treatment.
Harvest and storage
Harvest dates depend on the species. Shelling varieties are harvested when the peas gain maximum weight and size, and their skin is green without a white mesh. If the color of the peel is white or yellowish, then this is a sign of an overripe fruit; they lose their taste and commercial quality.
Signs of readiness for harvesting sugar varieties:
- the color of the pods is bright green;
- the shape of the pods is flat;
- the seeds are small, underdeveloped.
It's time to start growing peas in a greenhouse. You will kill two birds with one stone: you will put the soil in order and add a healthy and tasty vegetable to your diet. Light green pea soups and delicious salads with them will bring health benefits and add variety to the spring and winter menu.
