Cultivate peas in terrace and in the vegetable garden
Peas cultivation has been known since antiquity. The spread of this plant is very wide and concerns practically all continents, favoring temperate climate zones, to which it best suits. There are many species of peas from the point of view of food. The first differentiation consists in the development of the plant, which can be climber or dwarf. In addition, the peas differ for the seeds: smooth or wrinkled.
The last type of peas are those commonly called eat-eaten, that is, the pods that are consumed entirely. Peas are particularly well-known as the beginning crop of a rotation, since they have the characteristic of fixing nitrogen in the soil, acting as a natural fertilizer. At the end of cultivation it will be enough to leave the plant in the ground with all the radical apparatus and the nutrients will remain in the soil to make the plants of the subsequent cultivation of other vegetables lush
How to cultivate the peas
Peas, like other legumes, can be cultivated with the spring cycle, in about 140 days, or with a longer winter cycle life. The choice is made based on the specific climate of the area, considering that winter, choosing the long cycle, is not too rigid and allows the plant to survive. Sowing takes place at a depth of a few inches. Peas can be grown in the field or in the pot. The varieties that best fit the cultivation on the balcony or in the pots are the dwarf ones, which do not need any support. As for the climbing varieties, however, it will be necessary to provide for a system where they can grow, better if it is characterized by the large net of large meshes typical of the vegetable garden.
Peas need abundant water, but you must never exaggerate with the watering. In the spring, rainfall could be enough for natural precipitation, while in summer, with hot heat, it is necessary to intervene with irrigation to support, in any case by installing a real irrigation system for the largest land. Pea harvesting can be done manually, taking care not to wipe the tree of the plant. After harvesting the peas that mature, the plant continues to produce and give other peas to be harvested later. Nitrogen fertilizers are virtually useless. Plants can benefit from modest fertilizer intake, perhaps in flowering when they need more nutrients. Cultivation soil should be loose and well drained to allow rainfall and irrigation to not cause water stagnations that could cause radical rotations that are very dangerous to plant health.
Using peas
Peas are used as food, such as animal feed, as a decorative and ornamental element. Mostly peas are appreciated in the kitchen for their goodness, in accompanying the first and second dishes of traditional kitchens all over the world. Fresh peas are very good to eat as a side dish, cooked in steam or frying pan. They are also easy to store and freeze, keeping the characteristics and flavor virtually unaltered.
