Jaguar Dwarf Pea

The Jaguar Pea (Pisum sativum in Latin) is an early variety with rapid growth that produces pods, grouped in pairs and containing 8 to 9 peas. It is a vigorous pea variety that is resistant to diseases and can be sown for a very long harvest. It is sown from March to June for a harvest from June to September.

The Pea is an annual vegetable plant 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 was traditionally consumed dried and crushed before cooking, and its fresh consumption is relatively recent.

There are many varieties of peas: dwarf or climbing (with stakes) varieties 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 snow peas (with flat, crunchy, and buttery pods) are consumed in their entirety.

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

Smooth-grained peas are resistant to spring cold. They are very early or early varieties that can be sown very early under cover, but they do not tolerate 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 with careful selection of 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 meat and fish or used in the preparation of delicious soups. They are quite calorific as they are rich in carbohydrates, and they contain a lot of fibre, iron, and vitamins C and B9.

Peas like mild and humid climates but are sensitive to extreme weather conditions such as high temperatures, frost, and excessive or insufficient water, which weaken them and make them susceptible to powdery mildew and the pea moth, a small caterpillar that eats the seeds.

Harvest: Depending on the variety, peas can be 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, can fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, acting as green manure. This nitrogen supply is beneficial both to plants growing nearby and to those that will be planted subsequently in a crop rotation system.