Family: Fabaceae
When I think of ‘Half Pint’ peas, I remember the saying, ‘Nice things come in small packages‘. For me, all peas make attractive plants but I must say that ‘Half Pint’ peas’ small stature only serves to enhance their appearance and these dainty little pea plants really are very pretty and endearing. A true miniature-sized plant, ‘Half Pint’ peas grow up to an absolute maximum of 15–20cm (6-8inch) tall. My container grown ‘Half Pint’ pea plants are often smaller than this; they form attractive low mounds that cover the surface of my planters.
Please remember that peas need sunshine; ‘Half Pint’ peas will decline in the shade. These plants must be grown in a bright and sunny position.
‘Half Pint’ peas can be grown directly in the soil but it’s an awfully long way to bend right down to the ground to harvest these mini little plants’ sweet-tasting peas – so this might be one to grow in containers or window boxes filled with peat-free compost. ‘Half Pint’ is the perfect pea for containers! I like to grow ‘Half Pint’ peas in window boxes or in a small planter on my outdoor dining table – what could be a nicer appetiser for you or your guests than homegrown peas selected and harvested yourself from the comfort of your table?
This is a white-flowered pea that forms small-sized, green-coloured pea pods filled with around six super-sweet green peas.
I’ve been growing this adorable pea for twenty years or more and have no plans to stop growing ‘Half Pint’ – I simply adore ‘Half Pint’ peas! These darling peas couldn’t be any easier to grow; the plants don’t need any support whatsoever. ‘Half Pint’ peas have a good degree of cold tolerance and gardeners enjoy a wide sowing window with plenty of opportunity to grow these peas.
In the UK, we can sow ‘Half Pint’ pea seeds from the beginning of March through until the end of June. To give yourself an extended harvest period, sow ‘Half Pint’ seeds every couple of weeks or sow a new planter with ‘Half Pint’ seeds every month.
After sowing peas in containers I water the compost if it’s dry and then I like to add a layer of mulch – usually I’ll use bark or homemade compost. Mulching conserves moisture levels, helping to prevent the containers drying out. Mulch can also provides extra nutrients for the plants. If you’re growing peas in containers, check the moisture levels in your plants’ compost regularly simply by poking your finger into the compost to feel how moist the compost is and water if necessary. Peas are deep-rooted plants that favour moist but well-drained soil. These plants don’t want to sit in water and they also won’t be happy if their compost dries out too much or is dry for too long.
Mice and rodents are huge fans of peas, so you might need to protect your seeds until they have germinated and the plants are actively growing away.
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