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Sutton's Harbinger Sweet Pea (pole)
  • Sutton's Harbinger Sweet Pea (pole)
  • Sutton's Harbinger Sweet Pea (pole)
  • Sutton's Harbinger Sweet Pea (pole)
  • Sutton's Harbinger Sweet Pea (pole)
  • Sutton's Harbinger Sweet Pea (pole)
  • Sutton's Harbinger Sweet Pea (pole)
  • Sutton's Harbinger Sweet Pea (pole)
  • Sutton's Harbinger Sweet Pea (pole)
  • Sutton's Harbinger Sweet Pea (pole)
  • Sutton's Harbinger Sweet Pea (pole)
  • Sutton's Harbinger Sweet Pea (pole)
  • Sutton's Harbinger Sweet Pea (pole)
Sutton's Harbinger Sweet Pea (pole)

Pisum sativum
$4.50
Description

We obtained our initial seeds from Seed Savers Exchange many years ago. This heirloom English Pea was introduced to the commercial seed market by Suttons Seeds in 1899 and is still going strong today! It performs exceptionally well for us in North Florida as a winter and early spring crop.

This vigorous, productive vining pea needs a trellis to climb. The plants produce loads of delicate and stunning white flowers, followed by tender, sweet pods that are easy to pick.  Harvest them young and enjoy like snow peas, or let them mature further and shell them like traditional garden peas.

It has quickly become a favorite for its vigor, tenderness, sweetness, and productivity. We’ve saved seed from this variety for many seasons in our climate, and it continues to thrive.
Product details
  • About 30 seeds
  • 52-60 days to harvest
  • Seeds grown in Working Food gardens at GROW HUB in Gainesville, Florida
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

Peas 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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