Do you love snap peas? Then sprint to the Sugar Sprint! This snap pea (Pisum sativum) is an early producer and bears numerous three-inch deliciously sweet pods over an extended harvest period. Pods spring out two per node, remain fresh on the vine longer than most other varieties and are virtually stringless.
Sugar Sprint is a bush variety, so it is perfect for containers or space-efficient gardens. This 26-inch variety does like a little support, however, so a short trellis is always welcome. Planted in the garden, double rows with a trellis between conserves space, simplifies harvesting, and maximizes production.
Sugar Sprint is heat tolerant, making it a good choice for both a spring and a fall crop. Peas do best in cool weather, so plant as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring, then again in late summer as a fall crop. Harvesting the pods frequently keeps the plants producing. After harvesting the bounty, plow under the entire nitrogen-fixing plants to enrich the soil.
Sugar Sprint peas are resistant to powdery mildew and tolerant to pea enation mosaic virus. Early planting in enriched soil, a four-year crop rotation and yearly cleaning of trellises will minimize the chance of Fusarium wilt. Feed and water plants without overwatering - healthy plants are less likely to develop disease. To increase yields, dust seeds with a nitrogen inoculant just before sowing.
Sugar Sprint pods are excellently sweet and tasty straight from the garden. The pods also freeze well. To freeze, blanch the washed and trimmed pods for one minute in boiling water; cool in ice water, drain, pack and quick freeze. Use fresh pods in stir fry recipes, in sugar snap pea and shrimp curry.
Sowing The Seed
Peas love the cooler temperatures of Spring & Fall, so they should be sown indoors 6 to 8 weeks prior to the last frost, or sown directly outdoors when all danger of frost has passed. If sowing indoors, sow in peat pots at a depth of 1” deep. Transplant entire peat pots outdoors when the weather is mildly warm.
Growing Conditions
As explained above, Peas thrive in the cooler temperatures of Spring and Fall. They prefer an area of full sunlight and aren’t too picky on soil conditions. Just make sure that the sowing area is well drained and doesn’t contain clay. To improve drainage, we recommend adding a light compost to areas that contain hard, compact soil. Water daily until germination occurs.
Germination & Growth
Peas will typically take about 7 to 14 days to germinate, if optimal conditions are met. The plants themselves will reach a mature height of roughly 2 feet tall and can spread about 18 to 24 inches wide. You can space each plant 18 to 24 inches apart, in rows that are spaced about 3 to 4 feet apart. Sugar Sprint can be grown with, or without supports. Harvest in roughly 60 days.
