How to Grow Snow PeasWritten by Linda Jenkinson
Snow peas may have been named because in bright sunlight their light green pods look as if they might be tinged with frost. One of oldest vegetables, earliest recorded pea was grown in 9750 BC on Thai-Burma border. Since snow peas are a favorite addition to Asian dishes, this pea might very well have been a snow pea ancestor. In large family of legumes, snow pea (pisum sativum macrocarpon) is a flat-podded pea that bears both pods and seeds that are sweet and edible. Snow peas aren’t particular about soil quality, but they do need good drainage. Plant snow pea seeds about 2-inches apart and one to two inches deep. Snow peas grow best in full sun, but in an area where plants receive some shade from midday sun as season progresses. Peas are a cool weather crop. Although snow peas adapt better to higher temperatures than regular peas, for best results you should sow seeds as soon as soil can be worked. For best germination, keep soil moist yet be careful not to over water, since saturated soil will cause your seed to rot. In fact, biggest problems you face in growing snow peas are root rot and powdery mildew, both of which begin in soil that is too wet. However, once seeds germinate, plants need to be watered regularly for optimum harvest.
| | Making Love to my GardenWritten by Jenny Harker
I have one of those handy-dandy small roto-tillers made especially for gardeners. It can do darn near anything, short of creating world peace.I used roto-tiller one time. Its performance was impressive! But now it's gathering dust in my shed. The roto-tiller, though a marvelous device, took away my satisfaction in tilling soil. I like feel of shovel handle while I dig a new bed. Sweat trickles down my aching back while I stab metal blade deep into ground. I lift out blade to reveal fertile earth ripe for planting seed. I plunge my arms into warm dirt to mix soil and compost by hand. The sun is hot on back of my head. I can feel my too-fair skin burning under rays. But I keep mixing and lifting and sweating.
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