Last winter, my snow pea plants popped up raring to go, and there’s nothing like fresh snow peas straight from the garden to beat store-bought any day. My kids often help themselves to the fresh peas when they are outside – as does my dog!
Snow peas are easy and rewarding to grow, and you don’t need a lot of space or experience. They are a great kids’ garden project too. They grow during winter, not summer, so you need to make sure you start thinking about planting them around March. Because they are a climbing plant, they grow upwards instead of outwards, and only take up a small amount of ground. If you have an area of your yard that receives at least 5-6 hours sunlight and is relatively protected from strong winds, you can grow snow peas. Get yourself some seeds, a climbing frame (I purchased mine from Bunnings for around $25, and re-use it year after year, so I have definitely got my money’s worth – or you can make your own), and a little compost to mix in with the soil. The seeds need to be planted at a depth of around 1cm, around the base of the frame you want them to grow onto. Cover them over with soil, and pop a bit of sugar cane mulch over the top to keep the moisture in. Water daily, and you should see the seedlings pop up within a week.
If you aren’t a fan of snow peas, sugar snap peas are also great to grow, and the fresh peas taste like small sweets. You can use the same growing guidelines for any peas.