Snap pea
Encyclopedia
Snap peas also known as sugarsnap peas, are a cultivar group
of edible-podded pea
s that differ from snow pea
s in that their pods are round as opposed to flat. The name mangetout (French
for "eat all") can apply both to snap peas and snow peas.
Snap peas, like all other peas, are pod fruits. An edible-podded pea is similar to a garden, or English, pea, but the pod is less fibrous, and edible when young. Pods of the edible-podded pea, including snap peas, do not have a membrane and do not open when ripe. At maturity, the pods grow to around 4-8 cm in length, Pods contain three to five peas per pod.
The plants are climbing, and pea sticks or a trellis or other support system is required for optimal growth. Some cultivars are capable of climbing to 2 m high but are more commonly around 1-1.3 m for ease of harvest. Sugarsnap peas were developed by crossing Chinese snow peas
with a mutant shell pea plant, which was done by Drs. Lamborn and Parker of Twin Falls, Idaho
.
resistance.
Cultivar group
In naming cultivated plants, a Group is a formal classification category, under the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants :The term "Group" was introduced in the 2004 ICNCP, replacing the "Cultivar-group" of the 1995 ICNCP.A Group is united by some common trait; for example...
of edible-podded pea
Pea
A pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Peapods are botanically a fruit, since they contain seeds developed from the ovary of a flower. However, peas are considered to be a vegetable in cooking...
s that differ from snow pea
Snow pea
The snow pea is a legume, more specifically a variety of pea eaten whole in its pod while still unripe...
s in that their pods are round as opposed to flat. The name mangetout (French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for "eat all") can apply both to snap peas and snow peas.
Snap peas, like all other peas, are pod fruits. An edible-podded pea is similar to a garden, or English, pea, but the pod is less fibrous, and edible when young. Pods of the edible-podded pea, including snap peas, do not have a membrane and do not open when ripe. At maturity, the pods grow to around 4-8 cm in length, Pods contain three to five peas per pod.
The plants are climbing, and pea sticks or a trellis or other support system is required for optimal growth. Some cultivars are capable of climbing to 2 m high but are more commonly around 1-1.3 m for ease of harvest. Sugarsnap peas were developed by crossing Chinese snow peas
Snow pea
The snow pea is a legume, more specifically a variety of pea eaten whole in its pod while still unripe...
with a mutant shell pea plant, which was done by Drs. Lamborn and Parker of Twin Falls, Idaho
Twin Falls, Idaho
Twin Falls is the county seat and largest city of Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The population was 44,125 at the 2010 censusTwin Falls is the largest city of Idaho's Magic Valley region...
.
Cultivation
The snap pea is a cool season vegetable. It may be planted in spring as early as the soil can be worked. Seeds should be planted one to one-and-a-half inches (2,5-4cm) deep. It tolerates light frost when young; it also has a wider adaptation and tolerance of higher temperatures than some other pea cultivars. Snap peas may grow to two metres (6.56 feet) or more, but more typically are about 1.3 metres (about four feet). They have a vining habit and require a trellis or similar support structure. They should get 4-6 hours of sunlight each day.Varieties
Below is a list of several snap pea varieties currently available, ordered by days to maturity. Days to maturity is from germination to edible pod stage; add about 7 days to estimate shell pea stage. Amish Snap is the only true heirloom snap pea variety. PMR indicates some degree of powdery mildewPowdery mildew
Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants. Powdery mildew diseases are caused by many different species of fungi in the order Erysiphales. It is one of the easier diseases to spot, as its symptoms are quite distinctive. Infected plants display white powdery spots on the...
resistance.
- Sugar Ann, 52 days, 1984 AASAll-America SelectionsThe mission of All-America Selections is “to promote new garden seed varieties with superior garden performance judged in impartial trials in North America.” To accomplish this, the All-America Selections organization oversees a collaborative testing program involving horticulture professionals...
winner - Sugar Bon, 56 days
- Amish Snap, 60 days, tall climber, heirloomHeirloom plantAn heirloom plant, heirloom variety, or heirloom vegetable is a cultivar that was commonly grown during earlier periods in human history, but which is not used in modern large-scale agriculture...
- Cascadia, 60 days, PMR
- Sugar Daddy, 60 days
- Super Sugar Snap, 60 days, PMR, tall climber
- Sugar Snap, 62 days, tall climber, 1979 AAS winner