Little "pea pickers" learn to love peas at an early age. Because they are highly nutritious, tasty, and so easily grown, several plantings of table peas should be made each season.
Do not plant until danger of frost has passed, as they are very susceptible to cold.
A planting each three weeks from this time until mid-July will give a continuous supply of green peas, and any surplus may be canned green, put in the freezer, or allowed to ripen and stored as dry peas.
Most people save their own pea seed once they get a start of a new variety. However, when two varieties are planted near each other they will mix quite badly if in bloom at the same time. In this case it is best not to save the seed for planting.
Plant in regular width garden rows, four to six seed to the hill in hills 12 inches apart, or one seed to each 2 to 4 inches. Cultivate as for other garden vegetables.
Heavy applications of nitrogen fertilizer should not be used for peas. Fertilize moderately with a low-nitrogen analysis such as 4-12-12. They will produce fairly well on poorly prepared ground; but for best results, pulverize the soil thoroughly and prepare as for other vegetables.
Even where the regular field varieties are available it is desirable to make a succession of plantings of table varieties in the garden. For the effort necessary to grow them, few if any other vegetables will pay bigger dividends than table peas.
