Rondo dwarf peas for shelling

The Rondo pea (Pisum sativum in Latin) is an exceptional variety, very productive, that offers long pods containing about ten peas. It is a high-quality pea, suitable for freezing, and resistant to fusarium wilt. Its qualities have been recognised by the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society. It can be sown from March to June for a harvest from June to September.

The Pea is an annual vegetable belonging to the Fabaceae family (formerly Leguminosae) with an ancient origin in the Near East. It is one of the oldest vegetables cultivated in Europe and Asia. It used to be consumed dried and crushed before cooking, and its fresh consumption is relatively recent.

There are many varieties of peas: dwarf or climbing (vining) ones that produce pods filled with smooth or wrinkled round grains. They are cooked after being shelled because the parchment-like pod in which they are enclosed is not edible. Only the sugar snap peas (with flat, crunchy, and buttery pods) are consumed in their entirety.

In general, climbing peas are more productive but less early and require the installation of supports 1.5 to 2 meters (5 to 7 feet) high that they can climb. Their harvest is easy. Dwarf or semi-dwarf peas only need a few branches (from 50cm (20in) to 1 metre (3 feet)) as supports. Some recent varieties, with foliage largely replaced by tendrils, can support themselves, and the installation of supports is then optional.

Smooth-grained peas are resistant to spring cold. They are very early or early varieties that can be sown early in the season under cover, but they do not appreciate excessive heat.

For late spring and early summer sowings, wrinkled-grained varieties with a sweeter flavour are used. They tolerate heat and offer longer harvests.

Peas are highly appreciated as a spring vegetable, but by carefully choosing varieties, they can be harvested over a long period from June to September.

In cooking, peas can be consumed raw, but they are traditionally cooked to accompany meats and fish or for delicious soups. They are quite high in calories as they are rich in carbohydrates, and contain a lot of fibre, iron, and vitamins C and B9.

Peas like mild and humid climates but suffer in cases of extreme weather conditions such as high heat, frost, and water scarcity or excess, which weaken them and make them susceptible to powdery mildew and the pea moth, a small caterpillar that feeds on the seeds.

Harvest: Depending on the varieties, peas are harvested between two and a half and four months after sowing. Harvesting should be regular and done when the pods feel full when pressed with a finger. Don't wait too long... peas tend to harden as they age!

Storage: Fresh peas can be stored, unshelled, in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. They freeze very well once blanched in boiling water.

Gardener's tip: Peas, like all legumes, have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, acting as a green manure. This nitrogen input benefits both the plants growing nearby and those that will be planted subsequently in a crop rotation system.