 Freshly harvested Karina peas. Nearly ten years ago, I grew my first Karina peas from certified organic seed & have never looked back. Karina Peas are an annual frost hardy plant that requires full sun in the spring & some shade towards summer (if possible). They are a sweet dwarf garden shelling pea with straight pods that are about 3" long. The pods are filled with approximately 6 to 8 medium to large peas. They can, dry, & freeze well. The plants are prolific easy growers with short growing vines of approximately 24-30". I find that staking 3-4' high wire fencing is more than adequate for the vines to climb on. Because they are a dwarf pea, some folks don't stake them, but I find them much easier to maintain, weed & harvest when the vines are given something to grow on. If you choose to stake them, put up the trellis or fencing wire before you plant. This way you are much less likely to disturb the young plants. Because the plants have shallow roots, they must be hand weeded around the base of the plants to avoid uprooting &/or damaging the vines. Using weed barrier cloth can help suppress weeds & keep cats from using your garden as a litter box. If you don't want to use weed barrier cloth, a weed hoe is a quick way to keep weeds from getting the upper hand. Don't use a weed hoe near the plants stems or you risk killing the plants by disturbing the roots or actually cutting the vine at the base. It's much easier to do than you'd think.  Young Karina peas on the vine. Growing Guide Temperature for Germination: 45-60F Direct Sow: As soon as the soil can be worked Size: 24-30" Hardiness: Hardy Annual Hardiness Zone: 2-11 Sun: Full Water: Moderate Seed Spacing: 2” Seed Planting Depth: 1-2" Row Spacing: 1-1.5" Plant Spacing: 2" Days to Germination: 7-14 Mature: 50 days Direct Sowing: In the fall, generously add compost or other organic matter to the soil where you plan to grow the peas. If possible mix wood ash into the soil prior to planting in the spring. In early spring (4-6 weeks before the last spring frost or St. Patrick's Day), sow seed in well drained soil with a pH of 6.0 - 7.5. Sow no deeper than 2 - 4 times the seed diameter. If you want to speed up germination, soak the seeds in a bowl of water overnight. Do not sow in waterlogged soil. If spring in your area tends to be long & wet, plant in raised beds. Harvest in approximately 50 days. Seeds sprout in 7-14 days. Sow again in late summer for a fall crop. Note: Fall crops tend to be less prolific than spring crops. Harvest: In the morning after the dew has dried, carefully cut or pick ripe pods from the vine. Hold the vine securely with one hand so that you do not tug out the plant. Harvesting plump green pods will encourage the plant to produce more pods. Seed Savers: Isolate varieties by 1/8 mile for home use, or 1/4 to 1/2 mile or greater for pure seed. Allow the largest pods to dry naturally on the vine. When they are fully dry, clip the pods off of the vines. Remove the husks & save the largest of the dried peas. You can save the smaller peas for home consumption, feed them to your chickens, or toss them in your compost. Store the dried seed peas in a airtight container in a dark, dry, cool location. You can also store them in the freezer. Seeds should stay viable for about 3-4 years. Weeds & Water: Weed barrier fabric helps to both suppress weeds & keep more moisture in the soil where the plants need it. I have tried a wide range of weed barrier fabrics from free to more expensive & have found this 12 year fabric by Dewitt performs the best. Starting Arkansas Green Cotton From Seed Starting Blue Podded Shelling Peas From Seed Starting Catnip From Seed Starting Cilantro (Coriander) From Seed Starting Cocks Comb (Cleosia) From Seed Starting Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) From Seed Starting Dill From Seed Starting Erlene's Green Cotton From Seed Starting Hibiscus From Seed Starting Holy Basil (Tulsi) From Seed Starting Kale From Seed Starting Karina Peas From Seed Starting Lemon Balm From Seed Growing Loblolly Pine Tree Saplings Starting Mixed Cotton From Seed Starting Nankeen Cotton From Seed Starting Purple Podded Pole Beans From Seed Starting Red Foliated White Cotton From Seed Starting Sea Island Brown Cotton From Seed Starting Spinach From Seed Starting Sunflowers From Seed Starting Tennessee Red Valencia Peanuts From Seed  Freshly shelled & washed Karina peas in preparation for canning. You may also like:
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 Hi there! My name is Jen. I'm a "tree hugging dirt worshiper" who has been organically farming for well over a decade. It never ceases to amaze me at how much I've learned & how much I am still learning. I have studied natural health, nutrition, & herbs for over two decades. Our health & the natural world around us are connected in ways we don't often realize. How we treat the land & animals directly affects us in both body & mind. My goal is to provide others with truly natural humane goods from my own little piece of paradise, & to freely pass along whatever knowledge I pick up along the way. I am grateful every day to be able to have such a worthwhile & fulfilling job surrounded by the beauty & unpredictability of Mother Nature.
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