Peas by Kim Hupman

It seems every time I look at another spring vegetable to talk about it always seems to be carefree. Take the case of the common garden pea. This is a vegetable that thrives in cool weather and can even withstand light frost.

Peas are a direct sow (place seeds directly into the ground) vegetable and adapt to the cool, wet soils of spring. The optimal soil temperature for germination is 60° so you should see the first leaves in 7 – 10 days. Make sure you provide some type of support or trellis for the peas to grow up. This will help them produce more pods and make it easier to harvest. When the peas are ready, use two hands to harvest your peas. Use one hand to hold onto the vine, and the other to pluck the pod from the vine. Trying to pull the peas off with one hand damages the vines, and you could end up ripping off more vine than you intended. Peas will stop producing once the soil and air temperature becomes hot.

The weather and soil temperature are perfect to plant a crop of peas. Check out my video on the OSU Extension Greene County Facebook page on planting peas!

Radishes

Want instant gratification from your garden? Grow radishes! The common radish (Raphanus sativus) is an edible root grown throughout the world. It is a cool season vegetable that is ready to harvest in as soon as 21 days. This is the perfect vegetable for new or young gardeners and makes for a quick reward for your gardening efforts.

Sow seeds in full sun directly into the garden. They should be planted ½” deep and cover with soil. Radish seeds will germinate in 4 – 7 days. Thin plants to 3 – 4” apart. Radishes are ready to harvest when you can see the part of the root poking out of the soil.

Check the radishes frequently as they will become woody if left in the ground too long. Once you have pulled the ripe radishes wash, dry and remove the top (green portion) and place in a ziploc baggie the crisper section of the refrigerator.