March is the time to grow peas here in Northern Virginia. I prefer the sugar snap peas where you eat pea and pod together but shelling peas and snow peas also are sowed during March’s cool weather.
St. Patrick’s Day is my cue to soak the seeds in water overnight. Although this is not required, in my experience, it helps to prevent rotting which may occur if I were to plant the dry seeds in the cold soil. Soil temperatures should be at least 45 degrees in order to germinate.
After the seeds have soaked, there will be a few that have floated to the top of the water. These should be thrown away. They are not viable and will not germinate. Then drain the water off and place the now plump seeds in moist paper coffee filters or paper towels in zipped plastic bags. I leave them on a shelf, I do not put them under grow lights. Within two days, the seeds will have germinated. Plant them outside along a trellis, about 4 inches apart and 1 to 2 inches deep. 
I don’t use an inoculant but you can if you want too. Peas have the ability to “fix” atmospheric nitrogen through nodules on their roots, which means that they can convert the atmospheric nitrogen into a form useable by the plant, thus giving the plant more nitrogen. The peas have a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria called Rhizobium. The inoculation usually is a powder form of this bacteria and once applied it encourages formation of the nodules on the plant roots, which increases the capacity to fix the atmospheric nitrogen. The inoculant can be applied to the wet peas after soaking or mixed into the soil where they will be planted. The inoculant is supposed to provide the plant more nitrogen therefore they will be larger with increased yields plus the soil will get a nitrogen boost for future crops. The con of course is that it is an added cost.
Peas need to be planted in full sun with a trellis system. They can be planted in the ground, raised beds, or containers on the deck or patio. Peas have a shallow root system so the container does not have to be too deep. Keep in mind that a container will dry out quicker though. There are also dwarf forms and bush forms that may not need staking. Peas can take a light frost in March and April — you don’t have to run out and cover them for the night.
The flowers are edible and are great in green salads or as a vegetable garnish. However, if you pick them you will not get peas. The young shoots can be eaten as a vegetable or added to green salads. Ripe peas should be picked as soon as possible — the more you pick, the more you get.
This is a great vegetable for kids to grow. The seeds are large enough that they can easily sow and harvest them. Try growing peas this year. To purchase seeds or small plants, check out these seed companies or visit your local garden center.
