When to Plant Peas? A Detailed Guide to Planting Methods and High-Yield Cultivation Techniques
Pea is an annual climbing herb, 0.5-2 m tall. The flowering period is June-July, and the fruiting period is July-September. In China it is mainly distributed in the central, northeastern and other regions. Below is an introduction to pea planting time, methods and high-yield cultivation techniques! Pea growers everywhere should read carefully!
Pea planting time and methods
Pea is a long-day crop that prefers cool conditions and is not heat-tolerant, so overwintering cultivation with autumn sowing and autumn harvest is common in many areas of the Yangtze River Basin; of course, in high mountain areas and northern China, spring sowing and summer harvest is generally still practiced. Since peas are not strict about day length, as long as suitable varieties are selected, spring and autumn cultivation can also be carried out in the Yangtze River Basin region.
1. Spring cultivation of peas:
In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, sowing is done from late February to early March, and harvest is before the arrival of high temperatures; in the Northeast, spring sowing and summer harvest is practiced, generally sowing in April-May, and depending on need, early sowing is also possible with low tunnels, plastic film and other covers. Spring cultivation has a short growth period, with low temperatures early on and high temperatures later, so it is necessary to choose short-season cold-tolerant varieties, such as Chihuajuying and sweet crisp peas, and to sow as early as possible.
2. Autumn cultivation of peas:
For autumn cultivation, early-maturing varieties should be chosen, sown in early September, and harvested completely before the cold wave arrives in late November. Autumn cultivation also has a short growth period, and the growth period can be extended by raising seedlings in advance in a shade house in summer and covering with plastic film in winter.
High-yield cultivation techniques for peas
About 90 days after sowing, green peas can be harvested, with a yield of 600-1200 kg per unit area. The cultivation techniques are as follows:
1. Soil selection: Choose loam or sandy loam with deep soil layers, high organic matter content and good drainage and irrigation conditions for planting.
2. Sowing period selection: Determine the suitable sowing period according to market supply and demand. The best sowing period is August 10-September 10, with the picking period from December of the same year to February of the following year. It takes about 90 days from sowing to harvest.
3. Cultivation method: In plots where flue-cured tobacco or corn was planted, open planting furrows on both sides of the tobacco ridge or corn, with a furrow spacing of about 15-20 cm, a sowing rate of about 5 kg per mu, a plant spacing of 10-15 cm, and cover with 2 cm of soil, so that watering does not expose the seeds. When the seedlings are 30 cm tall, begin setting up the trellis; for the trellis method, insert a 1.5 m long wooden stick or bamboo pole at both ends of the tobacco ridge to fix the main line, set bamboo poles or wooden poles as standing posts every about 5 m, use iron wire or straw rope and other lines to pull the main line in the middle, then use lines to guide the plants to climb along the trellis, striving for stability.
4. Field management: Peas have a certain drought tolerance and require little water at the seedling stage, so water timely according to seedling condition, weather and soil condition. Before trellising, cultivate 1-2 times, and use 10 kg of urea per mu or clear manure water to promote seedling growth. During the growing period, spray the leaves 1-2 times with 0.2-0.5% potassium dihydrogen phosphate, and keep the soil moist regularly. During the flowering and pod-setting period, fertilizer and water management should be strengthened to promote plant and pod growth, extend the harvest period and increase yield, applying compound fertilizer once every 7-10 days.
5. Pest and disease control: At the seedling stage, peas are prone to root rot, damping-off and other diseases, which can be controlled by drenching the roots with 70% Dexon powder at 1000 times solution or 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder at 600 times solution; the main insect pests are cutworms, beet armyworm larvae and pea pod borers, which can be controlled by spraying 2.5% kung fu emulsifiable concentrate at 600-800 times solution, 10% cypermethrin emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times solution, 20% fenvalerate emulsifiable concentrate at 3000-4000 times solution, or 48% chlorpyrifos emulsifiable concentrate 30-60 ml diluted with water. In the middle and later stages, powdery mildew, downy mildew, brown spot and bacterial spot are prone to occur, which can be controlled by spraying 75% Daconil wettable powder at 600 times solution, 70% thiophanate-methyl at 1000 times solution, or 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 800 times solution; for bacterial spot, 72% agricultural streptomycin at 4000 times solution can be sprayed for control. For aphids, “imidacloprid” and similar products can be sprayed for control. For leafminers, 1.8% abamectin emulsifiable concentrate at 2000 times solution or monosultap at 500 times solution can be sprayed for control. Yellow sticky boards can also be used for trapping and killing; during the peak occurrence of adults, set 15-20 points per mu and replace the boards about once every 15 days.
6. Harvest: From after the flowers fade until the seeds are full, harvest the pods in a timely manner.