How to Grow Blue Podded Blauwschokker
Pisum sativum 'Blauwschokker'
Blue Podded Blauwschokker is a charming heirloom pea variety known for its vibrant blue flowers and sweet pods. Gardeners prize this cool-season crop not only for its nutritious harvest but also for the beauty it adds to spring gardens with its early blooming habit.
📷 Wikimedia CommonsStarting Blue Podded Blauwschokker: indoors or direct sow?
🌾 Sow directly in the garden — Blue Podded Blauwschokker is not usually started indoors.
This variety is best direct-sown into the garden rather than transplanted, as peas develop fragile root systems that do not recover well from disturbance.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare loose, well-draining soil adjusted to a pH between 6.2 and 7.0 for optimal growth. As a cool-season legume, you should sow seeds directly outdoors or start them indoors two to six weeks before your last expected spring frost date. Plant the seed at a depth of one inch; they typically germinate within ten to fourteen days once conditions are right.
Space plants four to six inches apart to ensure good air circulation and airflow through the row. Although this variety grows relatively short, you may still want to provide light support or trellising if stems become top-heavy with pods. Keep soil consistently moist, aiming for about one inch of water per week, and apply a layer of mulch to retain moisture while feeding plants as needed.
Watch out for aphids, pea weevils, spider mites, birds, powdery mildew, root rot, and viral issues like enation mosaic. Prevent pests by encouraging beneficial insects and using row covers early; manage diseases with good spacing and avoiding overhead watering. Harvest pods when they are firm but tender, typically seventy to eighty days after sowing.
When to Plant Blue Podded Blauwschokker
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | — | June – July | August – September |
| Zone 2 | — | May – July | August – September |
| Zone 3 | — | May – June | July – October |
| Zone 4 | — | April – June | July – October |
| Zone 5 | — | April – May | June – November |
| Zone 6 | — | April – May | June – November |
| Zone 7 | — | March – May | June – November |
| Zone 8 | — | March – April | May – December |
| Zone 9 | — | February – March | April – December |
| Zone 10 | — | January – March | April – December |
| Zone 11 | — | January – February | March – December |
| Zone 12 | — | January – February | March – December |
| Zone 13 | — | January – February | March – December |
Companion Plants for Blue Podded Blauwschokker
✓ Good companions
Peas fix nitrogen that carrots use, while carrots help break up soil for pea roots
Repel aphids and other soft-bodied insects that damage pea plants
Benefits from nitrogen fixed by peas and can use pea plants as natural trellising
Grows well in partial shade provided by pea plants and doesn't compete for nutrients
Repel aphids and other pests that commonly attack pea plants
Act as trap crops for aphids and add beneficial insects to the garden
Break up compacted soil and mature quickly, creating space for pea root development
Cool-season crop that benefits from nitrogen fixed by peas and shares similar growing conditions
✗ Keep away from
Produces allelopathic compounds that inhibit growth of most garden plants including peas
Releases compounds that can stunt pea growth and interfere with beneficial soil bacteria
Can inhibit pea growth and nitrogen fixation through root secretions
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
