Choosing a good sowing pea is not a simple matter. There are a lot of varieties now. Each has not only its advantages, but also disadvantages. On the territory of the country, cereals, husks and sugar varieties are registered and grown. All of them have different productivity, resistance to pests and weather conditions.
Sowing peas: types
As we have already said, there are three main varieties of sowing peas: sugar, brain and peeling. Each of them is represented by a variety of varieties that differ in taste characteristics, nuances of cultivation. Let's talk about this in more detail.
Peas
Shelling - the most popular pea. It is very in demand in farms that are engaged in the cultivation of this crop for further sale as grain or seed.
It has a very smooth and round shape, can easily be divided into two halves. This quality is very valuable because it facilitates the further grinding and processing process on peeling machines.
Sowing peas are used as animal feed. Of particular value is pea groats and peel, which have a huge amount of vitamins and high calorie content. In addition, peas are used in the food industry and for the production of starch, which is rich in plants, but at the same time does not contain sugar. However, sowing peas are not suitable for crops in summer cottages and household plots. The description of this species suggests that its taste characteristics in green form are an order of magnitude worse than other varieties. And to realize it in small quantities is difficult.
Marrowfat pea
Brain peas - a very popular plant, it is often grown at home in order to get tasty beans. In ripe form, the seeds have a wrinkled appearance. Because of this fact, pea sowing got its name. However, it is brought to a ripe state only at seed-growing stations. As gardeners, it is consumed in a green state. Its peas are sweet, large and precocious. As a rule, brain peas are used for preservation and for fresh food.
Absolutely all varieties of this representative of legumes were remarkably acclimatized in our country. Therefore, the choice of variety will directly depend on the purpose of cultivation. Let's talk about the most popular varieties.
Alpha
Pea sowing Alpha is an early peeling variety. With good watering, the yield can be up to forty-five centners per hectare. Peas ripen in 85-110 days. In length, the pod grows to 7 centimeters, the grains are large and round. The stems are up to 15 centimeters in height, in fact, this is a dwarf small plant.
Atlant
Atlant is a fairly good variety with a yield of up to 55 centners per hectare. The bushes of the plant are quite high, the pod reaches 14 centimeters in length. This variety is very sweet. Atlant peas are one of the few species that is perfect for conservation and for grain.
Viola
The Viola variety in Russia is considered the best mid-season, as it has a fairly high yield, is resistant to many diseases and is practically not afraid of drought. Sowing peas ripen 70 days after the appearance of the first seedlings. Plants reach up to 75 centimeters in height. On one bush there can be from 15 to 20 pods. The amount of sugar reaches 7 percent.
Emerald
But Emerald is an early ripe variety, its yield is slightly lower in our climatic zone, but it is very sweet in the green state. The seeds of peas are large, irregular in shape, and therefore it is grown by farms.
Premium
A variety like Premium will allow you to collect the maximum yield. The fact is that up to 50 fruits are tied on one bush. With good care, this is not even a record. Plant height does not exceed 80 centimeters. Bushes grow quite voluminous, large and lush.
Tropar
This variety from the Caucasian selection has been grown for a couple of years in the territory of the Russian Federation and countries of the Near Abroad. It is good in that it does not require strong care during the growth process. However, it has an average yield. Plants are not affected by pests. The variety is popular due to its unpretentiousness.
The best varieties of brain peas
The best brain varieties include:
- Belladonna is a late variety resistant to frost, and therefore it can be planted in February, when the first heat occurs. With good care, it is able to produce large yields. The peas are round in color, sweet and delicious.
- The debut grows well in hot enough regions where drought is possible in spring. However, this variety has a low yield. The advantages of this species include its resistance to pests.
- Calvedon is one of the best varieties available in supermarkets. It is used for import in industry, since it is quite sweet. Plants are resistant to powdery mildew.
- Honey cake is a unique variety. It contains the largest amount of sugar from all known types of green peas. However, experienced gardeners will be disappointed with its productivity, it is very low. Therefore, it is grown only by amateur gardeners exclusively for personal needs.
- Sweet giant peas with a growing season of only 60 days. Beans are large, but the plant is extremely whimsical to weather conditions, requires constant watering and does not like heat. Productivity is average.
The best sugar varieties
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Zhegalova 112 is a hybrid form, bred in Russia. It is very popular among summer residents, since not only the beans themselves are sweet, but also the "clothes". On average, up to 50 pods are laid on each bush, a lot depends on watering. The variety is resistant to pests, but needs to be treated with chemicals.
- Inexhaustible is a drought tolerant variety that has large pods. The flaps are also very sweet and are used in food. One pod contains up to 9 seeds.
- Rib is a sweet hybrid (up to 12 percent sugar), perfectly acclimatized in Russia. This is a fairly productive variety with good watering.
- Sugar 2 is a late sweet variety with excellent flavoring characteristics. The beans are firm and sweet, good for vegetable and fruit salads.
- The first-born has very large bushes (up to 120 centimeters in height, and sometimes more), from which it is simple and convenient to harvest. Plants are unpretentious to drought, withstand frost, but need to be treated with chemicals.
Which variety to choose when planting?
If you first decided to plant peas on a personal plot, then you need to approach the selection of varieties wisely. You need to understand that productivity is absolutely not the main indicator. It all depends on the care, watering and timely pest control.
When choosing a variety, consider in which region you live, what are the weather conditions in your area. In addition, it is better to take the seeds of those plants that are adapted to your climate. As a rule, overseas seeds do not show themselves very well in other people's conditions. You need to acquire proven varieties that have been sown in your area for several years and have managed to prove themselves from the best side. After all, not all plants feel equally well in different regions.
How to grow peas?
Peas are cold-resistant crops, and therefore, it can be sown in early spring. This culture can be grown after any vegetables. The only condition is a large amount of humus. But nitrogen is not demanding peas.
On the roots of plants, as well as on many other legumes, nodule bacteria develop and live, which are able to absorb atmospheric nitrogen. If this is your first time at a certain site, then you can add the special drug “Nitragin” along with the seeds when sowing. It will help plants develop well initially without nitrogen starvation. It is good to add rotted compost or humus, pea, nitrogen and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers under the peas.
It makes sense to fertilize the soil well under peas. Sown areas, pre-prepared and processed, give wonderful crops, and the beans themselves have a sweeter and more delicate taste.
Sowing peas: characteristics of plants
It should be noted that peas are an annual plant, cold-resistant, with a short growing season. And therefore it pleases with fruits even in the northern regions. Under favorable conditions, the root system reaches one meter, but most of the highly branching roots are located near the surface. The stems of the plant branch little, reach a length of 50 centimeters to several meters. Inside they are completely hollow. The antennae of the pea help to rise up. If there are supports or nets, the lashes curl high enough, clinging to each other.
Flowers appear in the axils of the leaves. Sowing peas, the leaves of which consist of four small parts, ends with antennae. However, some varieties do not have a leaf part at all, only some antennae, and others - vice versa. At the base of small leaves there are so-called stipules, which are much larger than the leaf part itself. Such an unusual look has peas. The flower of the plant is quite typical for bean representatives. Outwardly, it resembles a moth. Flowers can be solitary, but are usually collected in inflorescences. Each consists of 5 petals. The most common color is white. But there are pink, purple, purple.
An interesting fact is that the pollination of a flower occurs when it is still closed. The proportion of cross-pollination is only one percent. So that the crop does not depend on insects. In addition, this property allows you to save pure varieties, since the option of cross-pollination is practically excluded.
