Blue Shelling / Snow Pea

source: https://migardener.com/products/blue-shelling-snowpea

This pea has a lot of interesting features. It was introduced to Holland and German by the Capuchin Monks in medieval times and has been used in soups and stews there ever since. The flowers on this tall vine (5-6 foot) vary in color from purple-blue, purple-white to pink-white and a sweet smelling. These peas take 70-90 days to mature, and should be harvested about three weeks after flowering. The peas form indigo blue pea pods which can be harvested when the pea pods are young and eaten as snow peas or allowed to fully mature, The mature peas can be shelled, soaked overnight in water, and then cooked as soup peas.

These peas love cool weather, and don't like to be moved once they have sprouted, so the first planting should be sown directly in the garden in early spring. Seeds should be planted 4-6 inches apart in sun to part shade, with supports for them to climb. For best results, soak seeds overnight before planting. Inoculating peas with rhizobium bacteria when planting increases yields. For a second fall planting, sow 6-8 weeks before first frost date. This pea doesn't need much fertilizing.

-Phyllis