Transferring Pea Plants

Transferring pea plants is a relatively simple matter, as long as you keep in mind the basics. Just as when you transfer any kind of a potted plant, pea plants require a few simple steps. These steps are, briefly, knowing when you should transfer the plants; how to prepare the soil; actually transferring the plant; and finally, knowing how to maintain the plant after you have transferred it. If you have these basics firmly in hand, you will be able to transfer any kind of potted plant with little or no problem. For the most part, you will need to do a little research for the first two steps, but that is easily remedied. Here's what you need to do when you want to transfer some pea plants.

• Know when to transfer. Peas should first be planted in their pots near the end of February, or six to eight weeks before the last killing frost of the season. On average this is when the soil temperature outside is 50 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This means that the earliest that you can transfer the plants outside to an exterior garden isn't going to be until late May or early June on average. The key to knowing when to transfer these plants is to know your local weather.
• Prepare the soil. As the time nears for transferring the plants, you should begin preparing the soil. For peas, the preparation process is actually really simple. Dig the soil down to a depth of 6 inches, and mix in some compost and topsoil, or some simple potting soil. On average, if you mix the soil types to a consistency of 50/50, you will have a good mix for your plants.
• Transfer the pea plant. As you are transferring the pea plants, you will need to be careful of a few things. First, pea plants are typically very delicate plants that are also known as twining plants, which mean that they some type of support system to grow properly. Examples of this could be things such as fences, poles, or a net hung from some poles. As you are installing the plants into the prepared soil, make sure that you are providing enough support for the plants that you do not break or damage the delicate little seedlings.
• Maintain the pea plant. After you have transferred the peas, you will need to ensure that you are properly maintaining them. Keep an eye on the amount of water, and sunlight that they get. Pea plants are really very fragile, and don't like too much sunlight. On average, you should only allow the peas to get about 4 hours of sunlight a day (meaning they should be planted in partial shade). However, to be totally certain that you are planting your peas correctly, be sure to read the package that they came in for any directions.