Pea Oregon Sugar Pod Growing Advice

Sowing

Begin sowing seeds outdoors from March until early summer in a sunny, sheltered location with well-drained, moisture-retentive, and loamy soil. Pre-soak seeds for 24 hours in warm water before sowing 5cm deep. To ensure continuous production, make fresh sowings every 3 weeks. Protect seeds from mice and other pests.

Indoor Sowing

You can also start seeds indoors using quality compost in modular trays. Sow one seed per module, 5cm deep, and transplant outdoors approximately four weeks later.

Spacing for Optimal Growth

Plant seedlings in a sheltered position, maintaining a distance of 7cm between plants in a row and 15cm between rows. Provide support with twiggy hazel sticks, trellis, or netting, as these tall plants can reach a height of 120cm.

Plant Care Tips

Keep the soil well-hoed and weed-free for your plants. Practice crop rotation, avoiding planting peas in the same location for two consecutive seasons. Peas form a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, which fix atmospheric nitrogen in nodules on the roots. When removing plant remains at the end of the season, leave the roots in the ground to release nitrogen.

Watering and Mulching Advice

Water plants regularly during dry periods, ensuring that the soil remains moist but well-drained. Apply a layer of mulch around the base of the plants to conserve moisture and provide additional nutrients.

Harvesting

Harvest the tender, 10cm flat pods of the Pea Oregon Sugar Pod for mange-tout picking from early summer to early autumn. Regularly pick the pods to encourage continuous production.

Pest & Disease Prevention

Monitor Pea Oregon Sugar Pod plants for pests such as pea moths, aphids, pea and bean weevils, pea thrips, pigeons, slugs, snails, and mice. Diseases to watch out for include powdery mildews, downy mildews, foot and root rot, Fusarium wilt, grey moulds, pea leaf and pod spot, and virus diseases. Proper crop rotation and adding well-rotted organic matter to the soil before planting can minimize disease risk.