When to Plant Peas? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Planting Times

Peas are a spring-sown annual or autumn-sown biennial climbing herbaceous plant, and the world's fourth-largest legume crop. They can be used as human food and animal feed. The planting area of peas in China is about 1,295,900 hectares, with a total output of 10,274,300 tons. So when are peas planted? What is the planting time for peas? Today, let's find out together with the editor!

Planting Time for Peas

Peas are a long-day crop that prefers cool conditions and cannot tolerate heat, so overwintering cultivation is common in many areas of the Yangtze River basin, with autumn sowing and autumn harvest; of course, in high mountain areas and northern China, spring sowing and summer harvest is still generally practiced. Since peas are not strict about day length, as long as suitable varieties are chosen, spring and autumn planting can also be carried out in the Yangtze River basin region.

1. Overwintering cultivation: Overwintering cultivation is the most important form of planting in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It generally uses idle winter land, especially cotton fields after the cotton harvest, so that the cotton stalks can serve as natural supports and the goal of increasing income and improving the soil can also be achieved. Overwintering cultivation is generally sown from late October to mid-November, overwinters in open fields, and is harvested from April to May the following year. If sown too early, the plants grow too vigorously before winter and are prone to freezing to death when cold waves arrive in winter; if sown too late, the root system does not develop sufficiently before winter, vine growth is delayed the following spring, and yields are low.

2. Spring planting: In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, sowing is done from late February to early March, and harvest takes place before high temperatures arrive; in Northeast China, spring sowing and summer harvest are practiced, generally sown from April to May, and early sowing is also possible with covers such as small sheds or plastic film as needed. Spring planting has a short growing period, with low temperatures early on and high temperatures later, so cold-tolerant varieties with short growing periods should be chosen, such as Chihua Juanying and sweet crisp peas, and sowing should be as early as possible.

3. Autumn planting: For autumn planting, early-maturing varieties should be chosen, sown in early September, and harvested completely before the cold wave arrives in late November. Autumn planting also has a short growing period, and the growing period can be extended by raising seedlings in advance in a shade shed in summer and covering with plastic film in winter.

Growth Habits of Peas

1. Peas prefer a cool, moist climate, are cold-tolerant, and cannot tolerate heat. Seedlings can withstand low temperatures of 5°C. The suitable temperature during the growing period is 12-16°C, and the suitable temperature during pod setting is 15-20°C. Above 25°C, the fertilization rate is low, few pods set, and yields are low.

2. Peas are a long-day plant. Most varieties show a shorter growth period in the north than in the south. Southern varieties moved northward flower and set pods earlier; this is because spring sowing in the north shortens the seedling stage that would otherwise overwinter in the south. Therefore, in the north, the growth period of peas is 65-75 days for early-maturing varieties, 75-100 days for mid-maturing varieties, and 100-185 days for late-maturing varieties.

3. Although peas are not strict about soil requirements and can be planted on well-drained sandy loam or newly reclaimed land, loose neutral soil (pH 6.0-7.0) with relatively high organic matter is preferable, as it favors emergence and the development of rhizobia. When soil acidity is below pH 5.5, diseases are more likely to occur and the pod-setting rate decreases, so lime should be added to improve the soil. Peas have deep root systems and are somewhat drought-tolerant but not moisture-tolerant. Poor drainage at sowing or during the seedling stage easily causes root rot, and drought during the flowering period leads to poor fertilization and easily forms empty or shriveled pods.

Sowing Techniques for Peas

1. Seed selection and sprouting: Before sowing, use 40% salt water to select seeds and remove the floating, unfilled, or insect-damaged seeds. Before sowing, sprout the seeds. When the seeds sprout, treat them at a low temperature of 0-2°C for 15 days before sowing.

2. Rhizobia seed dressing: Dressing pea seeds with rhizobia is an effective measure to increase yield. After dressing with rhizobia, nodules increase, stems and leaves grow vigorously, more pods set, and yields are high. The dressing method is to use 10-19 grams of rhizobia per mu, add a small amount of water, mix evenly with the seeds, and then sow.

3. Fertilizing and sowing: Before sowing in the field, apply fully rotted manure, compost, and a certain amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Applying phosphorus fertilizer in particular has an obvious yield-increasing effect. Peas are sown in hills, with row spacing of 10-20 cm, within-row plant spacing of 5 cm, 2-6 seeds per hole, and soil cover of 5-6 cm when the soil is moist. When the soil is dry, cover with soil slightly thicker. Use 10-15 kg of seed per mu.