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Austrian Winter Pea
  • Austrian Winter Pea
  • Austrian Winter Pea
  • Austrian Winter Pea
  • Austrian Winter Pea
Austrian Winter Pea

Pisum sativum
$8.00
Description

This is a great cover crop to use in our cooler months that will help build organic matter and provide nitrogen into the soil. Similar to English peas grown for food but this does not climb and the peas are edible but not early as good. This is grown to produce thick biomass. We use this in the winter months when we do not want to plant other food/cash/seed crops and cut it back and turn into the soil early spring. Do not wait too long because although they are pretty, when temperatures start warming in the spring, they can become infested with aphids.
Product details
  • 1lb bag, approx 3,500 seeds
  • ~30 days to flower
  • Seed sourced from Hancock Seed in Fl
How to grow

As a general rule, root crops and legumes are best direct-sown rather than transplanted. Sow pea seeds about 1 inch deep and 6 inches apart.

Peas love cool weather, so wait until the heat of summer has truly passed before planting. In North Florida, that may not be until December or even January. Peas grow best in fertile, well-drained soil with consistent moisture.

For better harvests, consider using a legume inoculant. Mix it with the seeds and plant them right away, as the beneficial bacteria are sensitive to UV light and need to get into the soil quickly.

We also find that pre-soaking or “priming” larger seeds for 6–12 hours can help encourage faster and more even germination. Most peas benefit from some kind of support, including many dwarf varieties, so provide a trellis or other support as they grow.
How to save seeds

If using this as a cover crop, you will likely be terminating the crop before seeds are produced. But if you let it to longer, follow the same steps as with other English Peas, which are an excellent beginner seed-saving project! They are highly self-pollinating, so they are unlikely to cross with other pea varieties in your garden—unless, like us, you have lots of busy bumblebees and carpenter bees visiting your flowers!

Choose a few of your best, healthiest plants and leave some of their plumpest pods on the plant to mature fully. The pods will eventually shrink, shrivel, turn brownish-tan, and dry down right on the plant. Once the pods are completely dry, harvest and shell the seeds.

You can save viable seed from just one plant, but saving from 5–20 plants is better for maintaining genetic diversity and keeping your variety vigorous over time.

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