Dwarf Pea Very Early from Annonay (round grains)

Pisum sativum 'Annonay' is a variety of dwarf shelling pea, 50cm (20in) tall. It produces straight pods containing between 6 and 8 round and smooth peas of medium size. Harvest from April to July.

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

There are many varieties. They are either dwarf or climbing (pole) peas, that produce 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 suitable for consumption as it is parchment-like. It must therefore be shelled. Shelling peas include many different varieties: wrinkled peas, which are sweeter and more heat-tolerant, and smooth or round peas, which are more suitable for early cultivation as they are hardier and less sensitive to humidity. In the vegetable garden, smooth peas are sown first, and wrinkled peas are sown later.

The "mangetout" or "gourmand" pea bears non-parchment-like pods that are edible in their entirety. They are harvested before the complete formation of the seeds. Later, it can be shelled to be consumed like a fresh pea.

Crunchy peas can also be found, which are sweeter. 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 to four months after sowing. Pick mangetout peas when the peas have 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 trick: like all plants in the Fabaceae family, peas enrich the soil with nitrogen. They are part of a four-year rotation. Peas are low-nutrient-demanding plants. Peas also work very well with carrots, celery, cabbage, turnips, potatoes, and radishes as they mutually protect each other. Avoid the presence of alliums or fennels as their growth inhibits each other.