How to Grow Snow Peas: A Detailed Guide to Planting Time and Methods

Snow peas have high nutritional value and good taste, and are now widely cultivated as a premium, high-grade vegetable variety. So how do you grow snow peas? What are their planting time and methods?

1. Planting time and methods for snow peas

Snow peas are generally grown by sowing seeds.

For early-spring greenhouse cultivation, the seedling age is generally longer, at 30-35 days, and seedlings with a physiological age of 4-6 true leaves are preferable. The sowing date is determined by the seedling age, the planting date and market demand. It is also determined by when the previous crop is cleared and the plot becomes available.

Sowing is earlier in solar greenhouses, the harvest period is longer and yields are higher. In solar greenhouses, the sowing date for the early-spring crop is generally around mid-December to early January of the following year; for the winter crop, sowing is generally in early to mid-October, with planting in early to mid-November. The autumn-winter crop is generally sown in late September and planted in mid to late October.

In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, year-round cultivation is possible. For autumn cultivation under shade netting, sow from early August to the end of August.

For autumn open-field cultivation, sow from late August to mid-September. For winter cultivation in film-covered greenhouses, sow from October to February of the following year.

For winter open-field cultivation, sow from November to January of the following year. For spring open-field cultivation, sow from February to April.

For summer open-field cultivation, sow from early May to the end of May. For summer cultivation under shade netting, sow from mid-May to mid-June, but considering the best season for its growth and development, sowing from late September to early November and harvesting from January to April of the following year, that is, the autumn-sowing and spring-harvesting crop, is the main choice.

2. How to grow snow peas? What are the specific key technical points for cultivation?

1. Light

Snow peas need a large amount of long-duration light during their growth, because almost all snow pea varieties can have their flowering time advanced under long-duration light; if there is not enough light duration, their flowering time will be inhibited. So if you want to grow high-quality, early-maturing snow peas, you must ensure sufficient light duration during cultivation, although some varieties are not strict about light duration. However, during the later pod-setting stage, a certain amount of light duration is still needed, and the light intensity is also relatively high, but they should not be kept in a high-temperature environment for a long time. It is best to plant again during the transition between spring and summer.

2. Soil

Snow peas have strong adaptability to soil; whether sandy soil or clay soil, they can grow normally. But to obtain high-quality, high-yield snow peas, they still need to be grown in soil rich in organic matter with a moderate pH. Soil pH has a relatively large effect on snow peas. When the pH is below 5.5, although snow peas can still grow normally, the incidence of disease will increase and the fruit-setting rate will decrease. So this kind of soil should be properly neutralised, and attention should be paid to the soil's water retention and drainage, so that the soil does not hold excessive water.

3. Water

The growth of snow peas requires a large amount of water, especially during seed germination and emergence. If there is not enough water for the seeds to swell, the germination rate and emergence time will be affected. By the seedling stage, their water requirement gradually decreases somewhat, and during the middle-stage flowering period, relatively high humidity in the air is needed. If there is not enough water during the pod growth period and they are kept in a high-temperature, dry environment for a long time, it will cause the pods to mature early, greatly affecting both quality and yield.

4. Fertilisation

Before snow peas flower, water lightly and apply a quick-acting nitrogen fertiliser. When the stems begin to set pods, increase the amount of watering slightly and apply phosphorus and potassium fertilisers. During the peak pod-setting period, the soil should be kept constantly moist. In the late pod-setting period, reduce watering, and apply fertiliser once after each harvest.

5. Disease control

The main diseases of snow peas are powdery mildew and downy mildew. Before sowing, the seeds can be soaked in a chemical agent for disinfection. After sowing, carbendazim and metalaxyl can be sprayed for control. If diseased plants appear, they should be immediately pulled up and burned together with other diseased residues to reduce sources of infection and pathogens. Pay attention to garden sanitation and humidity and temperature, and promptly pull up weeds. Improper control of temperature and humidity is also one of the important reasons affecting the breeding of pathogens.

6. Timely harvesting

Because snow peas are grown in different seasons and by different methods, the number of days to harvest varies greatly. For example, when grown in summer, because temperatures are high, the pea pods grow faster, and from sowing to maturity takes only about half a month. But when grown in winter, temperatures are low, and from flowering to harvest may take about a month. So we should harvest according to the actual use of the peas. For example, if you want to harvest snow peas for eating, and the pea pods have already swelled and feel relatively large when pinched by hand, then they can be harvested.