Pea

There are many different varieties of pea seeds including first early and maincrop varieties, mangetout and snap peas. All peas grow in a pea-pod, which you don't always get to see if buying peas from a supermarket. Home grown peas are like a different vegetable compared to shop brought frozen peas.
Although they do freeze well, to get the sweetest flavour they require picking young and cooking within 30 minutes of harvest (before the sugar has changed to starch).
When growing peas, you'll need to think about predators. There are two main predators which attach peas as they are first sown. Mice will steal seeds to be sure to set some traps. Birds have a habit of eating the young pea seedlings so you can prevent this by using twine or wires or by covering the crops with netting or cloches. The worst predators for mature crops are Pea Moths, which cause maggots within the pods. To prevent this, spray the plants with a suitable chemical about 7 days after flowering, or have a look at our pea moth traps!