Sow Smooth Round Peas in October for a Spring Harvest

Posted on 09. Oct, 2010 by Tracey in How To Grow Veg

For the past 3 years I have without fail sowed my broad bean seeds and my overwintering peas have always been an after thought, second best if you like. So its time this year to give them pride of place in my vegetable plots by going overboard and sowing them in every plot. Broad beans will be sown in Spring instead.

There are two types of pea seed, smooth and wrinkled and in Autumn the best type to sow is round and smooth. Autumn peas can be sown late September to November and again in January and February.

What is the difference between wrinkled and smooth pea seeds?
Wrinkled seeds hold more water than smooth seeds therefore wrinkle when dried. Wrinkled seeds also have less starch and a higher sugar content than smooth seeds.

Smooth Seeds germinate better in cold conditions as wrinkled peas draw bacteria and fungus in the soil as they store their starch.

Reasons To Grow Peas in the Autumn

Autumn Pea 2 Week Seedlings

• An early May harvest of peas will cheer you up after the long winter,
• Autumn Peas need lots of water, which is handy with the british winter weather,
• Round smooth autumn peas are hardier and quicker to mature than wrinkled peas,
• They are able to withstand poor growing conditions, so little care is needed,
• They are easy to look after, often needing nothing more than sticks for support,
• They are one of the best vegetables to eat in your garden, mine never get to the kitchen!
• Growing peas in your soil will improve your soil quality for the next crop.

Peas Sown in Late Sept

Pea Sowing Tips

1. Don’t sow autumn peas into wet soil as they will take longer to germinate or rot.
2. Alternatively sow in modules and plant out in 4 weeks under cloches, its best to use pea guttering trays to prevent disturbance to their roots when transplanting into your plot.
3. Prepare the soil by raking to a fine tilth, then either scrap a small trough through the soil about an inch deep to sow the peas, then cover or push the pea seeds into the soil, not too close together.
4. Save off-cuts from branches, twigs from trees or shrubs to push into the soil next to the pea plant to support it. Don’t let it trail over the soil as it may attract disease.
5. As your pea plants mature, make sure there is enough air circulation around the plants otherwise you may attract downy or powdery mildew disease.

For step by step growing instructions, please see my guide to Growing Autumn Peas.

Hatif d'Annonay Pea Seeds

Autumn Peas I’m sowing this year are:

Variety: Hatif d’Annonay
Seed Supplier: Real Seeds
Description: An early french dwarf variety, very sweet abundant pods which do not need supporting.

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