Content
Ambrosia peas are an early-ripening sugar crop. It is very popular among gardeners. Recommended for cultivation in open ground throughout Russia. The variety has high taste and is suitable for fresh consumption, as well as canning and freezing. To achieve maximum productivity when growing these peas, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic rules of agricultural technology.
Ambrosia peas are distinguished by their delicate sweet fruits
Description of Ambrosia pea variety with photo
The culture is a herbaceous annual plant. Its stems are weakly climbing, 50-70 cm long, hollow inside. The root system is taproot. The leaves are pinnate, and tendrils form at their base, which cling to the support. The color of the plates is matte, bluish-green, with a waxy coating. At the base of each leaf there are two semi-heart-shaped bracts, which, like the leaves, participate in the process of photosynthesis.
Ambrosia pea flowers are located in the axils of the leaves. They are moth-type, purple in color.The upper petal of the corolla is large with an extended bend, which is why it is called a sail or flag. The lower petals, fused together, form a kind of boat.
According to the description of the variety, the fruits of Ambrosia sugar peas are flat beans up to 10 cm long. Each of them produces 7-8 peas, which, when ripe, acquire a sweetish-starchy taste. The walls of the fruit are juicy, fleshy, without a parchment layer. The diameter of the peas reaches 8-9 mm. Harvesting at the stage of technical maturity is recommended. When fully ripe, the bean leaves become coarser, and the peas change color from bright green to yellow and become wrinkled.
Ambrosia peas are a self-pollinating crop.
Advantages and disadvantages
This variety has many advantages, which makes it stand out from the rest. But Ambrosia peas also have disadvantages. Therefore, before giving it preference, you should study the strengths and weaknesses of the variety.
Ambrosia productivity per 1 sq. m. is 1.3 kg
Main advantages:
- high productivity;
- excellent taste;
- versatility of application;
- early ripeness;
- friendly return of fruits;
- low maintenance requirements;
- resistance to temperature changes.
Flaws:
- needs support;
- average resistance to diseases and pests.
How to Plant Ambrosia Peas
This culture belongs to the light-loving category. Therefore, well-lit areas should be chosen for Ambrosia peas.In this case, the soil should be sandy loam or loamy with a low or neutral level of acidity.
Landing dates
Sowing of seeds should be carried out when the threat of return frosts has passed. In the southern regions, it is recommended to start planting in the last ten days of April, and in the central and northern regions - throughout May.
For successful seed germination, it is important that the soil is well saturated with moisture after winter, so it is not recommended to delay sowing. In case of a sharp cold snap, the bed with this crop should be covered with agrofibre.
Seed preparation
Seeds need pre-sowing soaking, which will improve their germination. To do this, you need to pour them into a container and fill them with water at room temperature so that the liquid completely covers the peas. Duration of soaking is 12-15 hours. But the water should be changed every two hours.
If there is no time, this procedure can be accelerated. To do this, Ambrosia pea seeds should be poured with hot water at a temperature of +50-55 ° C and microfertilizer should be added to it. In this case, the planting material must be kept for five minutes. Pre-soaking allows you to activate growth processes in the seeds.
Also, to prevent infection with diseases, you need to soak the seeds for 15 minutes in a pink solution of potassium permanganate. After this, they should be washed with plain water and planted.
Preparing the beds and soil
You need to start preparing the beds in the fall. To do this, you need to dig up the area and add humus at the rate of 5 kg per 1 sq. m. m.Also add an additional 35 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium sulfide.
With the arrival of spring, the soil in the garden bed needs to be loosened to a depth of 7 cm and well leveled. After this, you can start sowing.
Peas can be planted in their original place after four years.
Planting Ambrosia peas
Sowing Ambrosia peas does not cause any particular difficulties. The procedure can be carried out at any time of the day.
Algorithm of actions:
- Make furrows at a distance of 20-30 cm and a depth of 3-4 cm.
- Water them generously and wait until the moisture is completely absorbed.
- Spread the prepared Ambrosia pea seeds at a distance of 10-15 cm.
- Sprinkle with soil and compact the surface well.
The first shoots appear 5-7 days after planting
Outdoor care
The agricultural technology for growing Ambrosia sugar peas does not involve complex actions. Therefore, to get a good harvest, it is enough to adhere to standard care rules.
Watering
Timely watering is extremely important for Ambrosia peas, as they belong to the category of moisture-loving crops. It is necessary to moisten the bed with plantings every week by wetting the soil to a depth of 5-7 cm. And during the period of fruit formation, it is recommended to water every 2-3 days. For irrigation, you should use settled water at a temperature of +15-20 °C.
After each watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil between the rows. This will prevent the formation of a crust on the surface of the soil and maintain air access to the roots of the plant.
Top dressing
If nutritional components were added at the site preparation stage, then this crop does not particularly need fertilizing.Additionally, you can use only complex mineral fertilizers with a high content of potassium and phosphorus at the stage of fruit formation and ripening. This will improve their taste and speed up collection.
Topping
To increase bushiness, it is recommended to pinch the main shoot of Ambrosia peas at a height of 20-25 cm. This stimulates the growth of lateral branches. As soon as they grow 20-25 cm, they should also be pinched. This procedure will increase the yield of the plant, but will significantly slow down the harvest. Therefore, pinching is recommended if there is limited space on the site for planting this crop.
Garter
To successfully grow Ambrosia peas, it is necessary to tie the plants to a support. You can use a trellis for this. You should start gartering when the length reaches 25-30 cm. If this is not done on time, the shoots of Ambrosia peas will begin to lie down. As a result, they will not have enough light, and dampness will form at the base of the bushes, which will cause rotting of the fruits.
The garter also promotes uniform ripening of the crop and improves the taste of the beans, since in this case they are well lit by the sun and accumulate sugars.
Harvesting can be done in 50-55 days
Disease and pest control
If the growing conditions are inappropriate, the immunity of Ambrosia peas decreases. This can lead to damage to the plant by pests and diseases.
Possible difficulties:
- Pea grain. The danger comes from the pest larvae that feed on the leaves of the plant. Females lay eggs on the undersides of leaves in the spring.
At the first signs of pea weevil infection, it is necessary to spray the plantings with the Aktara insecticide
- Aphid. A small insect that forms a whole colony. The pest feeds on the sap of young leaves and shoots.
To kill aphids, you need to spray Ambrosia peas with Karbofos or Corado
- Ascochytaosis. The disease can be recognized by spots on the beans and leaves. If there is a massive infection, the plant cannot be saved.
To kill aphids, you need to spray Ambrosia peas with Karbofos or Corado
- Fusarium. The disease is caused by soil fungi that attack the root system of Ambrosia peas. Plants quickly wither and can no longer be treated.
To prevent the spread of fusarium, you need to remove diseased bushes and water the pea plantings with Previcura Energy solution
Conclusion
Ambrosia peas belong to the category of varieties that, with minimal care, can show high performance. This is confirmed by numerous reviews. Therefore, among the variety of crop types, gardeners give preference to this particular variety.
Reviews of Ambrosia peas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgBrtfvLSPw
