Portrait of marrow peas: cultivation and varieties

Field peas: A classic in the German vegetable landscape. We show the most tried and tested varieties and give tips for successful cultivation in your own garden.

The pea (Pisum sativum convar. medullare) is a variety of pea. Most people know the pea as a classic frozen pea. When ripe, the grains are slightly wrinkled and quite sweet. The sugar content of modern varieties is just under 10%. And this is exactly what makes the pea so popular. A fresh taste with a high sugar content which additionally promotes the aromas.

Grow peas

The cultivation of field peas corresponds to that of the peas. In the spring between the end of March and the beginning of April, the seeds are planted at a depth of about 5 cm. The first plants will germinate after one to two weeks. If the plants get bigger, the taller varieties need a climbing aid. Either you use the standard scaffolding from the hardware store or you do handicrafts yourself. Bamboo or hazelnut shoots are particularly good here.

A detailed step-by-step guide to the Growing peas see this article.

Care of spring peas

Peas bind nitrogen in the root area. They are among the so-called legumes. Before sowing, ensure that there is a sufficient supply of nutrients (adding compost or use more nutritious Organic universal soil) additional fertilization is not necessary. This can even promote diseases. Regular watering is much more important than fertilizer. Because peas love a good supply of water. If the soil and the air are quite dry, powdery mildew will quickly develop in non-resistant varieties.

Harvesting marrow peas

If you have sown early, you can already bring in the first harvest in June. Because of the early harvest time, peas are particularly suitable as a preculture. In addition, the plants bring nitrogen into the soil, which is why the roots should be left in the soil after the harvest.

In contrast to peas, you shouldn't wait too long before harvesting peas. Because if the grains are overripe, you can dry them well and make them durable, but the grains of the market pea do not become soft when cooked. If you want to dry peas, you should only use green peas. Although these contain more starch than sugar, the grains become soft when cooked. If you harvest the marrow peas in good time, you will have wonderful, fresh and aromatic peas, which you can be sure that they have not been exposed to chemical sprays.

Field pea varieties

Field peas are particularly popular. One of the reasons is likely to be the very high sugar content. Sugar enhances the aromas of the pea, which is why it is also perceived as very tasty. If you have miscalculated when sowing and the result is too rich a harvest, a remedy is quickly found: Field peas are very good for preserving and frozen vegetables.
If you need help choosing a variety, have a look here: Pea varieties: overview of new, tried and tested and resistant varieties.

• Evita: Medium early variety with robust growth; high-yielding and very aromatic.
• Excellence: Modern variety with good fruit quality and very high yield.
• Grandera: Grandera pea grows quite robust and rarely suffers from diseases; high-yielding and particularly tasty.
• jumbo: Medium-late variety with very long and large pods; high yielding and good taste.
• Lancet: Later variety with healthy growth; high yield and tasty.
• Markana: Robust variety with a compact and stable growth; does not require any climbing aid; good taste.
• Maxigolt: Medium-late variety with very good grain quality; very aromatic due to the high sugar content; tolerant of Fusarium.
• Novelia: Medium-early pea variety with robust growth; quite high sugar content and aromatic taste; resistant to powdery mildew.
• Salout: Proven and high-yielding variety with good taste; very early ripening period.
• Sublima: Mid-late marrow pea with a high sugar content; aromatic and high-yielding; good resistance to fungal spots, powdery mildew and fusarium.
• Vada: Medium early and very productive variety with well-filled pods; recommendable taste.
• Vitara: Well suited variety for growing in your own garden; long harvest time, good yield and very resistant to Fusarium and powdery mildew.
• Miracle of Kelvedon: Medium early variety with high yield; the miracle of Kelvedon has meanwhile fought for a permanent place in the cultivar landscape of garden peas.

Pests and diseases

Field peas can be grown well in your own garden. You need little or no fertilizer and with a little skill you can safely do without pesticides. Non-resistant varieties of the marker pea can be used in drought conditions Powdery mildew get sick. Another fungus that attacks peas more often is Fusarium, which causes the leaves to wilt. In our latitudes, only the pea moth is really worth mentioning as a peeling.

More detailed information on diseases and pests of peas can be found at: Portrait of the climbing pea: origin and cultivation.