How to Plant Cascadia Sugar Snap Peas

Cascadia sugar snap pea was developed at Oregon State University.

Sugar snap peas, or snow peas, are rich in vitamins A, B and C, and minerals and fiber, making for an inexpensive nutritious backyard crop. They develop in cool weather and are ready for harvest in late spring to early summer. Getting them started late in spring makes them susceptible to the enation virus that is transmitted by aphids. Cascadia sugar snap pea is an exception. The thick-skinned variety is resistant to the virus and grows well in warm weather. This pea also develops a bushy habit and doesn't require a trellis.

Things You'll Need

• Hoe
• Pickax
• Shovel
• Compost
• Cascadia pea seeds
• Soaker hose

Instructions

1. Remove weeds, grass and rocks from the planting site as soon as the ground thaws. Break the ground to a depth of 4 to 6 inches with a pickax and shovel.

2. Spread a 2-inch layer of compost over the seedbed and till it into the soil with a shovel.

3. Make a 1-inch-deep furrow. Separate multiple rows by 2 feet. Sow the Cascadia sugar snap pea seeds 2 inches apart. Cover them with soil. Tap the ground with your palms to firm the surface.

4. Install a soaker hose 2 inches from the furrow. Irrigate the seedbed to 4 inches below the surface. Continue to maintain the seeds consistently hydrated through germination, giving the seedlings 1 inch of water a week.

5. Harvest Cascadia peas approximately 60 days after planting. The pea and the pod are edible.

References

• Ohio State University Extension: Selecting, Storing, and Serving Ohio Sugar Snap Peas; Barbara A. Brahm; 2009
• Oregon State University Extension Service: Planting Garden Peas; Peg Herring; 2011
• University of Illinois Extension: Vegetable -- Pea