PACT Food group

Give Peas a Chance

Pea salad leavesIt’s easy growing pea shoots, they are cheap and a good source of Vitamin C!

You can use them uncooked in salads, sandwiches or cooked in soups, stir fries or mixed with other veg.

Get a container, a seed tray or some sort of plant pot.  If it doesn't have holes in the bottom get an adult to make some.  

Get some potting compost or soil - we are only growing short shoots so we don't need much. I use about half an inch (15 mm) in the bottom of the container.  

Now scatter over some dried peas in a single layer, it doesn't matter if some touch or if here are small gaps. Then lightly cover them with about another half inch of compost or soil.

Water them gently or stand the container in some water and let the compost/soil take up some water.  Let the extra water drain away and put them on a sunny window sill.  In warm weather they can be put outside.  Water them whenever the soil looks a bit dry.

They will take a few days to show and a couple of weeks to get to the right size (about 4" to 6" or 10 - 15cm).  In cooler weather they may take longer. When they are ready to cut, snip them carefully above the second leaf.  

If you leave two leaves they will produce more shoots and you will get several crops from one sowing.

When you want to start some more get a bag of ordinary dried peas from the supermarket. A 500g bag cost about 80p and will provide many batches.

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Visit the NEW Penrith and Eden District Freegle web site just for gardening, being launched in 2013:

http://freegle.in/EdenGrowYourOwn

Phone Chris 01931 713240 or Joan on 07754 773701

More information will be available from PACT & Freegle

www.penrithact.org.uk

www.penrithedenfreegle.org.uk

Give Peas a Chance!