These must then be shelled and used as other garden peas, with the fibrous pods discarded. Sugar snaps left on the vine too long begin to develop tough fiber in the pod walls. Some varieties have strings along the seams of the pod that must be removed before cooking. At this point, the pods snap like green beans and the whole pod can be eaten. Sugar snaps are at their best when the pods first start to fatten but before the seeds grow very large. Snap peas should be harvested every 1 or 3 days, similarly to snow peas to get peak quality. Pulling the entire plant for the last harvest makes picking easier. The last harvest (usually the third) is made about one week after the first. The pods on the lower portion of the plant mature earliest. Peas should be picked immediately before cooking because their quality, especially sweetness (like that of sweet corn), deteriorates rapidly. Peas are of the best quality when they are fully expanded but immature before they become hard and starchy. Pick a few pods every day or two near harvest time to determine when the peas are at the proper stage for eating. When the pea pods are swollen (appear round) they are ready to be picked. Fusarium wilt can be avoided by growing wilt-resistant varieties. Double-dug raised beds amended with abundant organic matter can greatly improve soil aeration and drainage. These diseases are not as prevalent on well-drained soils. Infection of older plants usually results in the plants producing only a few poorly filled pods. The first signs of fusarium wilt and root-rot disease are the yellowing and wilting of the lower leaves and stunting of the plants. Some of the snap and sugar peas are vining types with heights of 6 feet or more that require fencing or other supports. Peas can be mulched to cool the soil, reduce moisture loss and limit soil rot. The taller varieties (Green Arrow and Bolero) are most productive and more easily picked when trained to poles or a fence for support, but they are no longer popular. Most dwarf and intermediate varieties are self-supporting. Cultivate and hoe shallowly during the early stages of growth. The germinating seeds and small seedlings are easily injured by direct contact with fertilizer or improper cultivation. Allow 8 to 10 inches between double rows in pairs.Allow 18 to 24 inches between single or pairs of rows.Plant peas 1 to 1-1/2 inches deep and one inch apart in single or double rows.Allow more days to the first killing frost than the listed number of days to maturity because short, cool fall days do not speed development of the crop as do the long, bright days of late spring. Plantings of heat-tolerant varieties can be made in midsummer to late summer, to mature during cool fall days. Peas may be planted whenever the soil temperature is at least 45☏ and the soil is dry enough to till without its sticking to garden tools. Early plantings normally produce larger yields than later plantings. Peas thrive in cool, moist weather and produce best in cool, moderate climates. The Southern pea (cowpea) is an entirely different warm-season vegetable that is planted and grown in the same manner as beans.
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