Snow Pea Oregon Sugar Pod is a popular variety known for its high yields, vigorous growth and excellent disease resistance. This snow pea produces broad, flat, bright green pods that are harvested while young. The pods are thick-fleshed, exceptionally tender, virtually stringless and have a deliciously sweet, fresh flavour. The plants produce abundant pods over a long harvesting period, making them an excellent choice for the home vegetable garden. Culinarily, Oregon Sugar Pod is exceptionally versatile. The young pods are eaten whole and are delicious lightly boiled, steamed or stir-fried. Their crisp texture and sweet flavour make them ideal for stir-fries, salads, pasta dishes, rice dishes and casseroles. They can also be briefly blanched and served as a vegetable with a knob of butter or a drizzle of olive oil. They pair beautifully with garlic, ginger, lemon, mint, parsley, tarragon and soy sauce, as well as chicken, fish, prawns and tofu.
If the pods are left on the plant longer, the peas continue to develop. The young peas can then be shelled and eaten fresh. If the pods are left to mature completely, they produce dried peas that, after soaking and cooking, are ideal for hearty soups, stews and purées. As a result, a single plant provides both delicious edible pods and, later in the season, fresh shelling peas or dried peas. With their mild, sweet flavour, Oregon Sugar Pod pods are perfectly suited to Asian, Mediterranean and European cuisine. Boil or steam the pods for only a few minutes so they retain their fresh green colour, juiciness and crisp texture. Half hardy annual. Height: 90 - 120 cm.
Soaking: 24 hours
Pregermination: possible
Indoor sowing (outdoor sowing under glass): half January - February
Outdoor sowing: half March - May
Germination: 10 - 21 days
Germination temp.: 10 - 17 °C
Sowing depth: 2 - 4 cm
Plant distance: 30 - 50 cm
Plant position: sunny
Harvest period: June - August
Pre soak the seeds for 24 hours in tepid water before sowing. The seeds soak up all the water and this helps with a quicker germination. The seeds can also be pregerminated. Put the seeds in a little container filled halfway with water. Fill the container regurlary half way because the seeds soak up a lot of the water. After 3 of 4 days the seeds should have a little root of about 1 cm in size.
Sow indoors from half January on for an early harvest. Pre soak the seeds. Sow in separate pots or seeding trays filled with moist potting soil. Sow 1 seed per pot. Harden the seedlings of from half May by putting them outdoors during the day. Put them on a sunny plot after about 4 - 6 days. Give the plants a sturdy support. Keep moist and weedfree.
Sow outdoors from half March on. Sow the seeds deep enough to make sure that mice or birds don't eat Your seeds. Sow in rows. Keep the rows about 40 - 50 cm apart for low growing varieties. Keep the rows about 100 - 110 cm apart for high varieties. Don't plant or sow beans on a plot where other bean varieties have grown in previous years. Earth the seedlings up, when they're about 10-15 cm tall. Provide the seedlings with enough support.
