Gardening 101: Peas

Text "gardening 101" over image of peas in a basket

Peas

Sweet, green, and crunchy, is there anything better than eating snap peas straight out of the garden? Nope!
Peas are easy to grow and they can handle a little frost, making them well suited for Wyoming gardens. Like many vegetables that do well in Wyoming, peas should be planted in the early spring because they do not like the hot weather. However, in some areas they can be planted between July 1-15 for fall harvest. Peas can be stored by freezing for later use- if you don’t eat them all first!

Planting

  • Plant seeds 1-inch apart in rows 18 to 24 inches apart.
  • Later, thin plants to 3 inches apart in the rows.
  • Pea varieties vary in height from 18 inches to 6 feet tall. It may be helpful to grow taller varieties of peas next to something they can climb, like a trellis, wire fence, or chicken wire stretched between stakes.
  • Water peas regularly, especially once the pods begin forming.

Harvesting

  • Harvest when pods are still flat, before the seeds start to enlarge.
  • Pick peas consistently to stretch out the harvest season.

Suggested Varieties

  • Edible-pod: Dwarf Gray Sugar, Little Sweetie, Oregon Sugar Pod II, Snowbird, Snak Hero
  • Snap peas: Sugar Ann, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Snap, Super Snappy
  • Garden: Early Alaska, Little Marvel, Maestro, Mr. Big

 

Happy gardening!

Information summarized from UW Extension publications by Katie Shockley, Writer/Editor, University of Wyoming Extension Communications & Technology.

 


bowl of seasoned snap peas

Sesame Snap Peas

This quick side dish or snack is crunchy, savory, and bursting with flavor.

Use all snap peas or add some of your other favorite veggies for a splash of color on your plate.

Click the title for the full recipe!

 

 


Additional Resources

Learn more about growing peas with these resources from the University of Wyoming Extension:

 

Next up: Green Beans [Coming September 4]

Previous issue: Summer Squash

 

P.S. If you know someone who might enjoy this newsletter, please share! They can subscribe on the Cent$ible Nutrition Program website.


Logos of UW Extension, Cent$ible Nutrition Program, Master Gardener program, Barnyards & Backyards magazine, and Wyoming Department of Agriculture

Share the Post:

Related Posts

In a fenced-in grassy space, a gardener with a sunhat sprays water from a garden hose onto an area of ground covered in flattened pieces of cardboard

UW Extension to Host Water-Wise Garden Workshop in Buffalo

A water-wise gardening workshop will be held by University of Wyoming Extension and the Johnson County Master Gardeners on Saturday, June 20, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Buffalo Community Garden (across from 30 Fairgrounds Rd).

Participants will learn the principles of water-wise gardening, sometimes called xeriscaping, and will help install native perennial plants in a new demonstration garden bed.

Read More
two mice sit together under the reddish glow of a heat lamp

The Science of Snuggling: What Huddling Mice Can Teach Us About Body Temperature Regulation

If you’ve ever stayed home sick, you’ve probably experienced the unpleasant temperature swings that accompany a fever. You may remember feeling chilled, then warming up as your fever spiked—a well-established process governed by the autonomic nervous system.

But maybe you also wrapped up in a blanket to keep warm. The science behind this kind of behavioral response is less well understood.

Read More

Help us improve this website!

We’re working to make AgNews easier to use and more useful for you. This quick survey takes about 1–2 minutes.