Snap pea is a member of the Pisum family. Its botanical name is Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon. The scientific name epithet sativum means 'having been cultivated'.
A cool season vegetable grown in spring or fall for its edible shoots and pea pods. A climbing plant that does best on a trellis.
Snap peas differ from snow peas in that their edible pods are round, as opposed to snow peas, whose pods are flat.
Snap pea is normally quite a low maintenance plant and is normally very easy to grow - great for beginner gardeners!
This plant info is provided by the myfolia gardener's wiki. All details about Snap pea have been kindly provided by our members.
How to grow Snap pea
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Partial Sun
OR + -
Full Sun
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Medium
Growing Snap pea from seed
for best results sow directly outdoors in early to mid spring.
Sow 0.99 inches (2.54 cm) deep with a guideline distance of 2.97 inches (7.62 cm). For optimal germination, soil temperature should be a minimum of 4°C / 39°F.By our calculations*, you should look at sowing Snap pea about 42 days before your last frost date .
Transplanting Snap pea
does not transplant well. will turn brown from bottom up if transplanted.
Harvesting Snap pea
The pods may be harvested and eaten whole when young. The top 6" of each shoot may be harvested avery 2-4 weeks and stirfried as a green or used in salads.
Seed Saving Snap pea
Leave the pods on the plant until they are dry. If frost threatens, remove whole plant and hang to dry. Shell or thresh to remove seeds. 1
Companion plants for Snap pea
These plants have been known to grow well alongside Snap pea so consider planting:
carrots, corn, turnip, radish, cucumber, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce and potatoes.
Repellent plants for Snap pea
These plants will not grow well with Snap pea so avoid planting these within close proximity:
onions, garlic
Common Snap pea problems
These problems, diseases and pests are known to affect Snap pea plants:
Squirrels
Other names for Snap pea
Mangetout pea, Chinese pea, Sugar snap pea, Guisante azucarado, Sugar snap peas
Pisum sativum macrocarpon
Latest Snap pea Reviews
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20 Feb 2013
KiriBean's Pea, snap 'Super Sugar Snap' (OP) was Reviewed day 312
An excellent pea. Prolific and flavourful.
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04 Feb 2013
GreenGuy's Snap pea, Mixed- Under Attack Cutworms! was
Reviewed day 26
Must be sown inside w/ bagged mix in Z9 TX.
Outdoor sowings: Sown early they rot, Sown at recommended time eaten by cutworms & birds, Sown later to avoid cutworms couldn’t yield before heat hits. -
02 Sep 2012
yarnfloozie's Snap pea 'Super Sugar Snap' was Reviewed day 79
They were tasty, although not very prolific. The seed was old, though.
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31 Jul 2012
anelson's mammoth sugar pea was Reviewed day 129
Delicious and productive over a very long season
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18 Jun 2012
JosephsGarden's Pea, Sugar Magnolia was Reviewed day 85
About 5% of the pods were green snap peas… Weeded them out today.
Snap pea care instructions
How long does Snap pea take to grow?
When should I plant Snap pea?
Our when to plant Snap pea estimates are relative to your last frost date. Enter your frost dates and we'll calculate your sowing and planting dates for you!
Footnotes
1 :The New Seed-starters Handbook; Published 1988
Popular varieties of Snap pea
- Stringless Sugar Snap
- Super Sugar Snap
- Cascadia
- Sugar Ann
- Sugar Sprint
- Sugar Daddy
- Amish Snap
- Super Snappy
- Sugar Snap Dwarf
- Sugar Lace II
View the complete variety list for Snap pea »
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