Growing Peas in a Five Star Polytunnel

Every year we grow early peas in a Five Star Polytunnel. There is a race to get some fresh spring produce into our roadside shop, as the kales, spinach and purple sprouting come to an end

This year to get the peas off to an early start they were sown on 1st of January,  and we picked our first sugar snap on 22nd May

They are sown into 9cm pots, 4 seeds per pot using a peat free substrate bought in bulk from Klasman

This compost is organic and holds moisture very well and seems to give the seeds a good start.

6 weeks later these pots were planted out in the Five Star Polytunnel under XL Horticulture Superthermic Evo Anti Condensation Polythene,  at 30cm intervals up the length of the polytunnel. We support our peas using our crop bars and sisal twine which can later be added directly to the compost heap

We buy all of our seed from Real Seeds and we grow 3 varieties

‘Delikett’ semi-dwarf Sugar-snap pea

A pea with very fat sweet edible pods – eat the whole thing cooked or raw, just like a french bean. Grows to about 4ft tall, so best to provide some support.

“Lord Leicester” Tall Pea

This one is a main crop pea and grows to about 5 or 6 ft tall, it starts to flower very early on, and carries on to almost the end of the season – so you get peas over a long period with excellent yield

“Champion of England ” Tall Pea

A really good, traditional tall main crop pea growing to 8 – 10 ft,  For home gardeners, they give a great return for a small space.

We follow this crop with another one outdoors and we are able to pick peas continuously for about 3 months depending on the weather.