American Wonder Peas are an unusually early variety of dwarf peas from the mid 1800's, growing to around 50cm tall, requiring very little support. They produce really nice pods filled with sweet juicy peas.
The tallest pea plant ever recorded in the UK, was grown by Douglas Smith and reached a whopping 15ft 6in!!
Before alarm clocks were invented, people hired as ‘Waker-Uppers’ would wake up workers in the morning by blowing dried peas at their windows with pea shooters!
Getting started
Make a hole in the soil as deep as your fingernail. Add two peas and cover with soil. Place somewhere indoors that’s warm and bright like a windowsill and keep the soil damp, not drenched.
Cut a plastic bottle in half and place over where you planted the seeds. This will keep them warm and moist.
Thin out any extra seedlings after about three weeks when 5cm tall to prevent them competing for nutrients.
Growing on
Indoor-sown peas can be planted out in March and April, once  about 20cm tall. Mulch with straw. For the first week, make sure to bring them in at night so they can gradually acclimatise to the outdoor weather.
Check the soil moisture and water if dry, particularly dry spells. Give them a good watering once they start to flower, and again two weeks later to help the pods to swell. Take care not to water the leaves.
Munch time
Pick regularly, otherwise the plants will stop producing flowers and pods. If you have a large crop, pick them all rather than leaving them on the plants, then freeze any excess
Recipes
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How-to-videos
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