How to grow snow peas

Snow peas may have been named because in sunlight their light green pods appear to be tinted with frost. One of the oldest vegetables, the earliest recorded pea was grown in 9750 BC on the Thai-Burma border. Since snow peas are a favorite addition to Asian dishes, this pea may well have been an ancestor of snow peas.

In the large family of vegetables, the snow pea (pisum sativum macrocarpon) is a flat-pod pea that has pods and seeds that are sweet and edible.

Chinese peas are not particularly picky about the quality of the soil, but they do need good drainage. Plant snow pea seeds about 2 inches apart and one to two inches deep. Snow peas grow best in full sun, but in an area where the plants receive some shade from the midday sun as the season progresses.

Peas are a cool weather crop. Although Chinese peas are better adapted to higher temperatures than regular peas, for best results you should sow the seeds as soon as the soil can be worked. For best germination, keep the soil moist but be careful not to overwater as saturated soil will cause the seed to rot. In fact, the biggest problems you face when growing snow peas are root rot and powdery mildew, both of which start in soil that is too wet. However, once the seeds germinate, the plants must be watered regularly for optimum harvest.

Because they are vegetables, there is no need to fertilize snow peas. In fact, vegetables make their own fertilizer and are often grown as cover crops to replace lost nutrients in the soil. However, snow peas, like most pea varieties, are climbers and grow best supported by a trellis, fence, or pole.

When temperatures reach 70 degrees, the growth rate slows and the plants begin to die. Harvest peas when the pods are about three inches long but still flat. You’ll need to use your snow peas soon after harvest, as they quickly lose their sugar content after harvesting.