How to Plant Sugar Snap Peas

Sugar snap peas are rich in vitamins A and C and have sweet, crunchy pods that come with or without side strings. They can be eaten raw or cooked and are easy to freeze for future use. Sugar snap peas prefer cool weather and may wilt or experience "bloom drop" in temperatures above 80 degrees. Plant them early or late in your growing season for best results.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hoe or tiller
• Sugar snap pea seeds
• Trellis

1. Use a hoe or tiller to prepare the soil for planting. Sugar snap peas should be grown in single rows about 20 inches apart. Leave a 1- to 1.5-inch trench down the center of the row to plant the seeds.

2. Plant seeds 1 inch apart along the length of the row. Cover the seeds loosely with soil. Water the soil until moist.

3. Keep the ground moist, not soaked, during germination. Weed carefully to prevent pulling up delicate seedlings.

4. Place a strong trellis alongside the row. The peas will naturally grow up the trellis, although you may need to guide them in the beginning. Gently lace the tendrils through sections of the trellis to encourage them to grow on it.

Tips & Warnings

• Sugar snap peas are cold-weather plants and germinate best in cool conditions.
• To aid growth before planting, germinate seeds indoors between moist paper towels placed in a perforated plastic bag.
• Never soak the soil after planting sugar snap pea seeds. Too much moisture can cause the seed to rot rather than germinate.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Peas
• Ohio State University Extension: Growing Peas and Snap Beans in the Home Garden