Monday, December 27, 2010

Plant English Peas & Carrots

English peas are also called garden peas.


One is green, tiny and round, the other is orange, long and straight. Except that they are both vegetables, English peas and carrots seem as different as night and day. In fact, English peas and carrots are both cold weather vegetables whose seeds can be sown directly into your garden bed and both types of seeds prefer a similarly prepared soil.


Instructions


Planting English Peas


1. Select a planting site for your English peas that receives a minimum of six hours of sun each day. Allow for some protection from hot afternoon sun if you are gardening in a particularly hot climate.


2. Amend your soil if needed by adding sand and/or an alkaline product to create a planting bed that drains well and has a neutral or mildly alkaline pH. Test the pH level by taking a small soil sample to your local nursery or purchase a home testing kit. Add limestone, wood ashes or commercial alkalizing products to increase the alkaline level. Shovel amendments onto the top of the soil and use a rake or hoe to work them into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil.


3. Sow your English pea seeds directly into the prepared soil early in the spring, around six weeks before the last frost is expected in your area. Place one seed about every 2 inches in single rows approximately 1 foot apart. Bury the seeds 1/2 inch deep into the soil and water evenly. Provide a fence or trellis for your English peas to climb on.


4. Too much heat will cause your carrots to be small and coarse.


Planting Carrots


5. Prepare a seed bed for your carrot seeds in a semi-bright area of your garden. Avoid planting in areas that will expose the seedlings to prolonged heat or temperatures under 55 degrees F.








6. Amend the soil if needed to create a well-draining, loose seed bed with slightly alkaline or neutral pH. Add organic or commercial fertilizers. According to Ohio State University Extension, carrots are heavy feeders and require rich soil for the best production.








7. Sprinkle your carrot seeds directly into prepared rows spaced around 15 inches apart. Bury the seeds 1/4 inch deep into the soil. Water the beds evenly but lightly.


8. Thin the seedlings to 1 inch apart after they emerge from the soil. Pluck out the unwanted seedlings with your fingers. Thin them once more when the tops grow thick so there is 2 or 3 inches between each plant.

Tags: directly into, English peas, your English, apart Bury, apart Bury seeds