How to Fertilize Snow Peas Scientifically: Methods and Key Technical Points
Snow peas (scientific name: Pisum sativum var. saccharatum) belong to the Fabaceae family, genus Pisum. They are annual climbing herbaceous plants, 90-180 cm tall. The earliest cultivated region of snow peas was along the Thailand-Myanmar border area about 12,000 years ago. The round-bodied type is also called honey peas or honey beans (Sugar snap peas), while the flat-bodied type is called green peas or snow peas (Snow pea). They also have many other names, including xiaohandou, huaidou, madou, qingxiaodou, liudou, jindou, huihuidou, maiwandou, maidou, bidou, malei, guodou, soft-pod peas, podded peas, sweet peas, horendou, qingban, and vegetable peas. They can be used for food. Snow peas, also known as horendou or jiandou, belong to the Fabaceae (Leguminosae) family, genus Pisum. They are mainly grown for their tender pods. They originated along the Mediterranean coast and in western Asia. Snow pea pods are crisp and delicately fragrant, with high nutritional value.
Morphological Characteristics of Snow Peas
Plant characteristics: Annual climbing herbaceous plant, 90-180 cm tall, entirely green, smooth and hairless, covered with a powdery bloom.
Leaf characteristics: Leaves have 4-6 leaflets; stipules are larger than the leaflets, leaf-like, heart-shaped, with fine teeth on the lower margin. Leaflets are ovate-round, 2-5 cm long, 1-2.5 cm wide, with entire margins; stipules are leaf-like, ovate, with ear-shaped bases surrounding the petiole.
The fertilization technique for snow peas determines the level of planting yield, so mastering scientific fertilization techniques is very important for snow pea cultivation. Below we will look at scientific fertilization techniques for snow peas.
1. Cultivating strong seedlings. Before sowing, arrange soil blocks, paper bags or plastic pots neatly and water thoroughly until fully saturated. Use a wooden stick to adjust the holes to a uniform depth of 3 to 4 cm, then sow. Generally, using soil blocks or paper bags for seedling raising saves labor and effort and facilitates transplanting.
Strong seedling standard: In different seasons and different crop cycles, seedling temperatures vary, and thus seedling time also varies. Generally, the seedling age is about 30 days, with 4 to 6 true leaves, thick stems with short internodes, no lodging, and no disease.
2. Applying heavy base fertilizer. After harvesting the previous crop, deep-plow 20 to 24 cm, and after plowing, sun-bake or freeze-bake the soil. After erecting the greenhouse frame, broadcast 3000 to 5000 kg of high-quality decomposed organic fertilizer per 667 sq m, and mix in 30 to 50 kg of superphosphate and 50 to 60 kg of plant ash, then deep-plow 15 to 18 cm again. After plowing, rake level and make beds for timely transplanting.
3. Water and fertilizer management after transplanting. From transplanting to bud emergence, the principle is not to water or fertilize, mainly carrying out intertillage and hilling to promote root development and robust plant growth. On the third intertillage and hilling, earth up to the base of the first node so that the base grows secondary roots again, expanding the absorption area. After flower buds appear, immediately apply 500 to 700 kg of diluted manure or 15 to 20 kg of compound fertilizer with irrigation water, then hoe the soil surface loosely as the final shallow intertillage, to control vine growth and promote pod development. When the first pod forms a small pod and the second flower has just faded, begin heavy irrigation. Afterward, because snow peas continuously flower and set pods, and at the same time the base produces one round of branching, the demand for fertilizer and water is very large. Irrigate with fertilizer water every 10 to 15 days, preferably alternating diluted manure and chemical fertilizer, applying 10 to 15 kg of urea, 20 to 25 kg of superphosphate, or 1000 kg of decomposed human urine and manure each time. Especially during the peak pod-setting period, apply 50 kg of plant ash or 10 to 20 kg of potassium sulfate per 667 sq m to supplement potassium.