COLUMBIA, Mo. – Gardeners looking for hap-pea-ness can look no further than the pea. The National Garden Bureau has declared 2025 the Year of the Pea.

Few vegetables match the culinary delight of peas fresh from the garden, said David Trinklein, University of Missouri Extension horticulturist. “You might say it is a VIPea in the spring garden,” said Trinklein. When given an early start, growing peas is easy peasy.

The words “pea” and “pease” are two peas in a pod. The word “pea” comes from the Latin word pisum which was later introduced into the English language as pease. The nursery rhyme “pease porridge hot” refers to what we call garden pea today.

Garden pea is a cool-season crop that tolerates light frosts and can germinate in relatively cool soils. Ideal planting time is early – as soon as spring soils can be worked. Quality and yield drop when temperatures rise over 80 F, said Trinklein.

Peas prefer a well-drained garden loam with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. Peas need sufficient room to grow. Sow seeds directly in the soil about 1 inch deep and 2 inches apart in rows spaced 18-24 inches apart. Taller varieties need 3 feet between rows as well as some method of trellising or support.

Gardeners should mind their peas and cues when fertilizing, said Trinklein. Fertilize before planting based on soil test results. Like other legumes, peas can fix atmospheric nitrogen. However, if plants appear chlorotic (yellowish) after pods begin to set, a side dressing of nitrogen may be necessary. Peas prefer soil that is kept uniformly moist but not wet. Rotate planting locations in the garden from year to year to avoid disease.

Hand weeding and cultivation probably are the most logical way to control weeds in home garden plantings. For those who want to use herbicides, trifluralin (Treflan) and pendimethalin (Prowl) are labeled for weed control in peas.

Depending on cultivar, planting date and seasonal temperatures, harvest around the middle of June. Harvest normally lasts for about two weeks. Timing the harvest is critical for the most pea-licious flavor.

Pick the pods as soon as they have swollen (appear round). The shelf life of peas for pea-k flavor is short. When allowed to mature on the plant too long, peas tend to convert sugars to starch, which reduces their sweetness.

Several cultivars of garden pea do well in the Midwest, says Trinklein. Popular choices include Spring (57 days, 22 inches tall), Sparkle (60 days, 18 inches tall), Little Marvel (63 days, 18 inches tall), Lincoln (67 days, 30 inches tall), Green Arrow (68 days, 28 inches tall), Bolero (69 days, 28 inches tall) and Wando (70 days, 30 inches tall). Taller cultivars require trellising of some sort, while shorter ones (18 inches tall) can be grown without.

Peas are a good source of certain vitamins and minerals as well as insoluble dietary fiber, which has been shown to reduce cholesterol. A half cup of cooked peas has 67 calories, 2.4 grams dietary fiber, 4.3 g protein, 12.5 g carbohydrates, 478 IU vitamin A, 11.4 mg vitamin C, 50.7 mcg folic acid, 1.2 mg iron, 217 mg potassium and 31 mg magnesium.

The National Garden Bureau recently reported that a 100-calorie serving of peas contains as much vitamin C as two large apples and has more protein than one egg or 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.

Peas from the garden freeze exceptionally well but must be blanched to keep enzymes and bacteria from destroying nutrients and changing color, flavor and texture. Blanch by immersing peas in boiling water for about two minutes then cooling them in ice water.

For more timely gardening tips, go to MU’s Integrated Pest Management webpage at https://ipm.missouri.edu.

Photos

https://extension.missouri.edu/sites/default/files/legacy_media/wysiwyg/Extensiondata/NewsAdmin/Photos/Pea_2.jpg
The National Garden Bureau declared 2025 the Year of the Pea. Photo courtesy National Garden Bureau.

https://extension.missouri.edu/sites/default/files/legacy_media/wysiwyg/Extensiondata/NewsAdmin/Photos/Pea_4.jpg
Peas in a pod. Photo courtesy National Garden Bureau.