Vetch peas are beautiful perennials and climbers that are relatively easy to care for. However, special attention should be paid to the seedlings.
The vetchling (Lathyrus vernus) is a climbing plant that develops legumes in late summer and whose pods and seeds are edible. The popular pea pods are not the only added value that the vetchling brings with it. The shoots and flowers of the plant can also be eaten without hesitation and are reminiscent of young, sweet-tasting peas. To ensure that many peas can be harvested and that the vetchling thrives well, a certain amount of care is beneficial.
When and how to plant a vetchling?
Since most vetchling peas are annual plants, they have to be replanted every year in order to be able to harvest and eat peas in late summer. If this takes place in the bucket, you can start planting by sowing the seeds in spring and doing it all outdoors. If you want to start planting earlier, i.e. in winter, you should use a cold frame to grow the seedlings. In summer, both types of germs continue to grow outdoors and are provided with climbing aids so that they gain height and abundance and bear fruit in late summer.
Caution is also required when eating the chickpea fruits, because a certain active ingredient makes them slightly toxic, so that they can cause he alth problems. However, this is only the case if you eat the vetchling in large quantities and more often. Then you have to reckon with vomiting, abdominal pain and even cramps and other side effects.
Watering the vetchling
If the seedlings have just emerged, they must always be kept slightly moist, but not too wet. Too much moisture can lead to fungi, which in turn damage the plant and prevent it from growing further. If the top layer of soil becomes slightly dry, this is the best time to moderately re-water the vetchling seedlings. A sunny, but not too hot location is important for the vetchling - this should alsobe airy so that the moisture can always escape and the vetchling does not rot or is damaged by fungi. If the seedlings or young plants have already been planted in the garden bed and they have received a climbing aid, they should also be watered moderately - and only if the layer of soil has dried a little. On very dry days, you can of course prevent dehydration with a little more water.
Does the vetchling need fertilizer?
As a rule, the vetchling does not need any fertilizer that you can buy in the garden center - so you can save a few euros in this regard. The nutrients in the potting soil provide the necessary nutrients for the growth of the seedlings, but when you put them out in the garden you can - if you want - loosen the soil for planting and enrich it with a little compost. This gives the vetchling a good start outdoors, but is basically not necessary. Fertilizer and compost are no longer a must, especially when the plant is already developing flowers or is already bearing fruit.
Winter peas
As already mentioned, many types of vetchling are annual plants that die by the end of autumn at the latest after bearing the fruit. So you don't have to worry about overwintering the plant. However, if the seeds purchased and released are perennial plants, they can be supported during the winter. In this case, the shoots usually wither as the year approaches winter - but the roots remain in order to form new shoots next spring. Therefore, you can cover the ground above the roots of the perennial vetchling with lots of leaves or brushwood to provide the roots with something slightly warming against frost and sub-zero temperatures.
Do you have to cut vetch peas?
The vetchling definitely doesn't need to be cut. However, she can trim her tops back a bit as she grows to ensure she grows denser and gains more abundance from new shoots. This usually also helps to ensure a richer harvest of the pods and peas, which are not only used as an accompaniment to dishes, but are often also used to feed cattle or, in the case of the seeds, can be processed into flour. If the sweet pea you bought is a perennial plant, it can also be pruned after the shoots have died down - in late autumn - to help the plant sprout again and grow faster next spring.
Petchup care:Pros and cons
Advantages
✔ does not need to be fertilized
✔ loves a sunny and airy location
✔ does not require much care
✔ shoots, blossoms and fruits including the pods can be eaten werden
✔ Planting the seeds is very easy, and propagation is also child's play
Cons
✘ can be harmful if consumed in large quantities
✘ most varieties are annuals