1. Select a site with at least eight hours of direct sunlight for maximum production. Remember, this is one of the few vegetable garden plants that will take (and needs a full dose of) the hot sun. Make sure to plant after the last frost, in our family we tend to plant them after Easter

2. Plant seeds 1 inch deep in the soil in rows 24 to 40 inches apart. Within the row, sow seeds 2-3 inches apart.

3. This is a short crop, ready to harvest in 65 to 75 days from planting.

Water is only needed in prolonged periods of dry weather.

4. Fertilize lightly. Peas are legumes that, if given too much nitrogen fertilizer, will produce beautiful plants with several vines, but few pea pods.

5. Southern peas are not troubled with diseases and insect problems to the extent that other vegetables are.

6. Harvest when seed pods are fully formed but before they begin to dry.

7. Be sure to prepare and eat the peas soon after harvest. They can be refrigerated for three to four days without losing much quality. Longer than that, they need to be frozen or canned.