Pea
Pisum sativum
📖 About this plant
A cool-season legume producing sweet edible pods and peas in garden, snap, and snow pea varieties. One of the oldest cultivated crops, peas are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins A and C. They naturally fix atmospheric nitrogen through root nodules, improving soil for subsequent crops.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun (6-8 hrs)
Every 2-3 days
Moderate (50-65%)
10-22°C
Well-draining loam with good organic matter; pH 6.0-7.5
Low to moderate nitrogen fertilizer (peas fix their own nitrogen); phosphorus and potassium more important for pod production
🌐 Common Names
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Mediterranean Basin, Near East
- 📏 Max height
- Bush types 30-60 cm; climbing types 1-2 m
- 📐 Spread
- 15-30 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Spring - Summer
- 🎨 Bloom color
- White, Pink, Purple
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Annual
- 📈 Growth rate
- Fast
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic edible pods, peas, and shoots. Mature dried peas contain anti-nutrients — always cook thoroughly
- 🌱 Propagation
- Direct sow seeds 2.5 cm deep as soon as soil can be worked in early spring; inoculate seeds with rhizobium bacteria for better nitrogen fixation
🛡️ Health & Safety
Non-toxic edible pods, peas, and shoots. Mature dried peas contain anti-nutrients — always cook thoroughly
Common issues
- Powdery mildew in humid spring conditions
- Pea enation mosaic virus
- Fusarium wilt in warm soils
💡 Care tips
- Cool-season crop that thrives in early spring or fall
- Provide a trellis or netting for climbing varieties to grip
- Inoculate seeds with nitrogen-fixing bacteria for better growth
- Harvest pods daily at peak season for continued production
