Pea Snap Climbing Purple Magnolia

Over 15 years of work by Oregon USA based plant breeder, Dr. Alan Kapuler, has resulted in Pea 'Purple Magnolia’ - the first purple-podded sugar snap pea. Pick them before they grow large to enjoy them at their best, they peas also very tasty when immature. These crunchy pods have a good, sweet flavour and make a colourful and tasty raw addition to a salad, for snacking or steamed and served as a side. Easy to grow on trellis or other growing supports, the strong hyper-tendrils cling well and support the long, climbing stems. Height: 1.8cm (70”). Spread: 25cm (10”).

Sowing

Direct sow Sugarsnap peas outdoors from March to June, once the soil as warmed. Choose a weed-free position on moist, fertile, well drained soil in full sun. Sow Sugarsnap seed in flat bottomed drills at a distance of 5cm (2") apart, and 4cm (1½") deep. Allow a distance of 75cm (30") between rows. For successional crops, sow Sugarsnap peas every 10 days.

More Info

Support Sugarsnap plants with twiggy sticks, wire or netting as they grow, and use fine netting to protect pea crops from birds and pea moth damage. When growing Sugarsnap peas, regular and thorough watering especially when in flower will improve crop yields. Harvest edible podded peas around 12-13 weeks after sowing just as the peas inside start to form. Regular picking will encourage further cropping.