Pisum sativum Petit Provencal

The Petit Provencal Pea is a variety of dwarf shelling pea (50 cm (20in) tall), with round grains that displays a good productivity. It offers large, slightly curved pods that contain 7 to 9 medium-sized, round, green peas. This pea is sown from October to November in mild climates or from February to April for a harvest from April to July.

The pea is an annual vegetable plant that originated from the Near East. It is one of the oldest vegetables cultivated in Europe and Asia and has long been consumed dry, crushed before cooking. Its fresh consumption is rather recent and its nutritional and taste qualities make it an excellent spring vegetable.

There are many varieties, dwarf or climbing (pole) peas producing pods containing round, wrinkled or smooth peas. Either the pod must be shelled, or it can be consumed whole.

For "shelling" peas, the pod is not good for consumption as it is parchment-like, like green beans; it must therefore be shelled. It is in this category that there is the widest choice and of all sizes. Among the "shelling" peas, we distinguish: wrinkled peas, sweeter and more heat-tolerant, and smooth or round peas, more suitable for early cultivation, as they are hardier and less sensitive to humidity. In the vegetable garden, we start with smooth peas, and we sow wrinkled peas later.

The "mangetout" or "gourmand" pea, whose non-parchment-like pod is edible in its entirety by harvesting it before the complete formation of the seeds. Later, it can be shelled to be consumed as a fresh pea.

There are also crunchy peas, sweeter, where the peas are consumed with their pods. Peas like mild and humid climates. They fear extremes: heat, frost, lack and excess of water.

Harvest: Depending on the earliness of the varieties, peas are harvested between two and a half and four months after sowing.

Pick the mangetout peas when the peas are just formed. Enjoy them as soon as possible.

Storage: Fresh peas can be stored for 48 hours in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.

The gardener's tip: Peas, like all plants in the Fabaceae family, enrich the soil with nitrogen. They are part of a rotation that takes place over 4 years. Peas are plants that are not very demanding in nutrients. Peas also associate well with carrots, celery, cabbage, turnips, potatoes, and radishes as they protect each other. Avoid the presence of alliums or fennel, as their growth is inhibited.