Peas
Pisum sativum
Peas are a fantastic vegetable to grow in your UK garden, giving you sweet, fresh pods that taste way better than shop-bought ones. You can choose from shelling types for those juicy peas inside, or mangetout and sugar snaps to munch the whole pod. They're great for beginners, fix nitrogen in the soil to help other plants, and work well in beds or pots.
Growing Guide
Step-by-step instructions for growing Peas
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Sowing peas straight into the ground is the easiest way to get a great crop going in your UK garden, perfect once the soil's warmed up a bit.
1 Sow Seeds Directly
Pick a sunny spot with decent soil and add some compost if it's looking a bit tired. Dig a wide, shallow trench about across and deep. Pop the seeds in apart, cover them over, and give everything a good but gentle water to settle them in. Delay sowing if your soil is still below , as peas won’t germinate well in cold soil. Use cloches or fleece to warm and protect young seedlings until weather improves.
2 Provide Support
When you see those little shoots popping up, set up some supports like twiggy sticks or netting so the plants can climb happily. It keeps them tidy and makes picking easier later on.
3 Water and Maintain
Keep the ground nice and moist, especially if it's dry out, by watering at the roots. Spread some mulch around to hold in the water and keep weeds at bay. Keep an eye out for birds or slugs and net them if you need to.
4 Fertilise
As soon as you spot flowers, start giving them a feed with something high in potassium, like tomato food, every couple of weeks to help those pods fill out nicely.
5 Harvest
Grab the pods every few days once they're ready to keep the plants producing more. Twist them off gently from the bottom up – shelling ones when plump, mangetout and snaps while still tender for the best crunch.
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