How to sow peas in open ground: planting scheme

Seed preparation

Peas are famous not only for their beneficial properties, but also for the opportunities that the plant provides for any gardener. Often the plant is used as green manure, that is, if it is necessary to sow the ground with something between plantings of different crops. This makes it possible to enrich the soil. Moreover, peas are a cold-resistant plant, completely undemanding to the soil on which it is planted. And due to the presence of nodule bacteria on the roots, peas are able to enrich the soil with nitrogen, which is why this variety of legumes is often planted as a predecessor in front of various vegetable crops.

Before planting peas, you need to figure out when to plant them, what soil to choose and how to prepare the seeds. Regardless of the fact that peas are a rather finicky plant, with all the rules and recommendations, it is quite simple to grow them.

When to sow seeds? It is best to land as early as possible. The most suitable time for this is April. It is customary to sow seeds at the end of the month, around the twentieth. This is due to the fact that by that time the soil of the garden is already a little dry from snow and rain. At the same time, you can not be afraid of a decrease in the temperature indicator, which happens in the spring, because legume seedlings can develop even with slight frosts.

If you have chosen an early ripening variety of peas, then you can plant it even in July, starting from the first days. Experienced gardeners plant peas several times a season. At the same time, seeds are planted from the end of April to the beginning of July with a break of 10 days between sowings. As many plant experts advise, it is not recommended to plant seeds in July after the 10th. They say that in July, after the first decade of the month, peas sprout worse and give a lower yield.

Before planting seeds in the soil, they must be prepared. To do this, before planting, the seeds need to be heated for five minutes in a hot solution of boric acid. The recommended solution temperature is 40 degrees, the solution is made by mixing two grams of acid per 10 liters of water. Using this measure, the possibility of plant damage by various diseases, pests, namely, nodule weevil larvae, is significantly reduced.

After the seeds have swollen in the solution, they must be allowed to dry.

It often happens that gardeners do not have time to soak the seeds. In this case, it is recommended to sow them dry. Then they will swell in the ground by evening.

Video “Growing green peas”

In this video you will find basic recommendations for soaking seeds, further planting and growing peas.

Soil preparation

After preparing for planting seeds, it is necessary to prepare the soil itself. The choice of a site for sowing peas is an equally important issue in growing this plant. First, you need to choose a sunny area with deep groundwater. This is due to the fact that the roots of peas go a meter deep into the earth, so they can rot due to the proximity of water.

Light, but preferably fertile soil is recommended. Some gardeners advise choosing soils richer in useful microelements, preferably with readily available nitrogen.

An important fact is that the plant takes root quite well in various kinds of soil, except for acidic. If it really happened and the territory for planting peas has just such soil, then it is first necessary to lime the soil. If you miss this factor, then the plant may either not take root at all, or it will constantly get sick.

Another way, in addition to liming, to combat acidic soil is wood ash. It neutralizes acid by about 200–400 g per square meter. The amount of ash depends on the value of the acid index.

Many professional gardeners advise planting peas near young apple trees, in near-trunk circles, since their crowns, which are just starting to develop, do not create much shade for peas. At the same time, this leguminous plant contributes to the enrichment of the soil near the trees with nitrogen, which favorably affects the growth of young apple trees.

Regardless of what it is recommended to sow seeds in April – July, it is better to prepare the soil in the fall. To do this, you need to dig up the ground, while adding about 20–30 g of potassium salt, as well as 50–60 g of superphosphate, for each square meter.

In the spring, just before planting, it is necessary to add about 10 g of saltpeter per square meter.

A fairly large number of gardeners warn that in no case should fresh manure be applied as fertilizer for peas.

This plant does not tolerate this type of top dressing. Moreover, legumes have enough soil, which was fertilized with manure for its predecessors.

How to plant

When the seeds are harvested, and the soil has already passed all the stages of processing, you can proceed to the direct planting of peas.

The question often arises, after which plants legumes can be sown. Best of all, peas take root after:

• tomato;
• potatoes;
• cabbage;
• cucumber;
• pumpkin.

It is not recommended to sow peas in open ground after beans, beans, soybeans, lentils, peanuts and peas themselves. The break between plantings in this case should be at least a couple of months, while it is recommended to sow some green manure.

Before planting peas in open ground, it is necessary to make beds with holes, the depth of which can vary from 5 to 7 cm, and the width from 15 to 20 cm. The distance between the holes should be approximately 50–60 cm. For better germination, you can add holes of compost, which is previously recommended to be mixed with ash, and sprinkled with garden soil. In this case, the depth of the holes should remain about 3-5 cm.

The average recommended distance between seeds in a hole is 5-6 cm. The holes are sprinkled with earth, which subsequently needs to be compacted in order to preserve moisture in the open ground, as well as protect the peas from birds.

After landing, you can cover the ground with a translucent film, some use a fishing net. This will protect seedlings that appear after about 7-12 days. By the way, other unpretentious plants, such as lettuce or radish, can be grown between the rows of peas.

Care

Seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 4–7 degrees, but the most comfortable temperature for legumes is 10 degrees. It is worth noting that the heat is absolutely contraindicated for peas. In this case, it will be very difficult to wait for flowering. Therefore, it is not recommended to plant a plant in open ground after the tenth of July, moreover, in many cities in July it is already quite hot.

The main care for peas in the open field can be considered watering, which requires subsequent loosening and weeding of the site. The first loosening can be carried out after two weeks, when shoots appear. Upon reaching a seedling height of 20-25 cm, it is necessary to put supports along which the plants should rise upwards.

If you want a high yield, then you can pinch the top of the stems, then the plant will start up side shoots. Another important issue is pea fertilizer. Since legumes planted in the open field often get sick and suffer from various pests, the use of all kinds of dressings is mandatory.

It is worth remembering that heat adversely affects the growth and fertility of peas, so increased hydration is necessary. Legumes especially need moisture during the period when flowers appear. If up to this point the plant could be watered about once every 7 days, then from the beginning of flowering, and also in the future – twice a week.

Adhering to all the rules, then growing peas in the open field will bring not only a good harvest, but also pleasure.

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