Gordon Johnson, Extension Vegetable & Fruit Specialist; gcjohn@udel.edu
Pea planting is nearing 75% across Delmarva and planting will continue through the first week in May. The first plantings were made at the end of February in 2017 and progress is well advanced compared to the average. A small number of very early planted peas were hurt by freezes after emergence but in general, most peas are in good shape this year.
The last year that we had an advanced crop similar to this year was in 2012. Early peas flowered at the end of April that year and the first harvests that year were on May 15. In our early pea variety trial, which was planted on March 15, 2012, the first variety was harvested on May 19 at 1112 heat units. Cabree, a standard early pea, was at a T-reading of 103 on May 21 with 1060 heat units and advanced to a T-reading of 126 the following day.
If temperature trends continue, expect a similarly early start to pea harvest in 2017.