How to grow a great pea crop

Peas are one the crops that can earn your farm the most money. They are also more difficult to grow and require the grower to maintain a watchful eye on the crop.

These tips will help you get the most out of your pea crop and reduce problems that can take away potential yield.

1. Pick the right Field

-Look for low nitrogen fields

-no chemical residue from previous crops

-Low weed pressure

2. Use Certified Seed (link to homepage)

-Buy from a reputable dealer

-Buy the best quality you can find

-Seed at least at 8 plants per square foot

3. Treat your seed

-Use a seed treatment that protects from seedling blight and seed rot

-Consider using an insecticide for pea leaf weevil if present in your area

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4. Use inoculant

-Don’t count on natural bacteria in your soil to inoculate your peas

- We recommend granular because it has the highest Rhizobium count

- Granular is not as time sensitive as peat powder or liquid inoculant.  

5. Don’t seed to shallow

- Aim for a seed depth of 1.5”-2” but seed to moisture 

6. Seed early

- Seed in the first part of May and beat the July heat when the plant is flowering.  

7. Weed control

- Use a pre-emergent as well as a post emergent spray

- peas are not very competitive so spray early and while the leaves on the peas are still waxy. Most broad leafs need to be sprayed before the sixth node stage but earlier is better depending on how well the pre emergent is working.

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8. Use a Fungicide (link to another blog about fungiciding peas)

- We always fungicide our peas weather permitting

- Start scouting at the end of June checking for the right crop density and moisture

- The right density is when you can throw a small dog into the field and it has a hard time getting out, then you should start worrying about disease

-The right moisture is when you walk through the field in the afternoon and the canopy is still wet or rain is forecast.  

Mastering how to grow peas takes time and some trial and error but once you know the best practices and have your certified seed you are well on your way to growing a great crop!

As always reminding you to use certified seed and stick to a crop rotation plan for the best results.

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