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UC IPM Home > Homes, Gardens, Landscapes, and Turf > Vegetables > Cultural Tips
How to Manage Pests
Pests in Gardens and Landscapes
Harvesting and storing peas
Edible pod peas should be harvested over a 2- to 3-month
period and should be done before the pods become enlarged.
Harvesting should be done frequently--maybe 2 to 3 times
a week--to keep the plant bearing. All pods that reach
3 to 4 inches long should be removed. Edible pod peas
are best eaten fresh or cooked. They freeze well but
canning is not recommended.
Snap peas should be harvested as the pods become plump
with peas but before they become too mature. Again, they
should be regularly harvested to keep plant bearing.
Snap peas are good fresh or cooºked,
excellent for freezing but not canning.
English peas should be harvested when the pods are well filled but before they become overmature
and starchy. One way to tell that they are not overmature is if the pod can be crushed between
the fingers without the pod separating into halves. The sugars in the pods continue to convert
to starch
quickly even after harvest. English peas should be cooked or processed, by either canning or
freezing quickly after shelling.
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Harvesting periods for peas in
sections of California* |
North and North Coast
Monterey County north |
Mid Feb.–Oct. |
South Coast
San Luis Obispo County south |
Oct.,
Jan.–May |
Interior Valleys
Sacramento, San Joaquin, and similar valleys |
Late Dec.–Feb. |
Desert Valleys
Imperial and Coachella valleys |
Oct.–Jan. |
*For
other areas, contact your local Master Gardener |
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