Grow Your Own Salad

Pea shoots are gourmet salad ingredients that can be pricey to buy, but super easy, cheap and quick to grow yourself.

This does not require expensive varieties of snow peas at all. Look for cheap and cheerful pea seeds and you will get good results.

The most affordable and easy option to take is to buy some dried whole marrow peas which can be found from wholesalers or your regular supermarket.

It is important to avoid peas that have already split as this will affect their growing and you may not get the best result. You can buy plenty of peas for s little as £1 and these will last you weeks, even months.

Growing your pea shoots indoors

Step 1.

A quick and easy way to grow pea shoots indoors is to firstly take a handful of the peas and soak them in a container of water which is at room temperature over night.

Step 2.

The next day, rinse the peas then soak them again in room temperature water. In the evening, give the peas another rinse and drain them. Check the peas and what you need to look out for are some very small whitish shoots protruding from each pea. If these are not yet visible, you will need to soak the peas further overnight, then rinse again an check for the small shoots.

Step 3.

Now, add some compost to a plant pot (or even one of the empty containers that come with shop bought mushrooms or cherry tomatoes). Check they have some holes at the bottom to allow drainage. Fill the container/pot 3/4 of the way up then add a light pouring of water to moisten the compost. Next add the soaked peas to the top and then add a thin layer of compost over the peas, then water lightly again.

Step 4.

Place the potted peas on a windowsill, if you can one where you get some sunlight (mostly for some warmth). Leave this there, checking occasionally to make sure the compost is not too dry. With bout two weeks, you should have grown some pea shoots. To speed up the process, you can cover the pot/container with some foil and put the container somewhere warm for a few days making sure to water and check on a daily basis.

Remove the foil when you start to see some shoots coming through the compost, then you can transfer the container to a sunny windowsill. Rather than two weeks, you should have some pea shoots within 8-10 days using this method.

Growing your pea shoots outdoors

Conditions for growing pea shoots outside are very basic as you wont be rowing mature plants.

Step 1.

Similarly, using a shallow pot or container with hole to allow drainage is enough. Like you would do indoors, fill the pot with compost but this time 2/3 full, then add a layer of the peas, then add a layer of compost over these of about 2cm, then lightly water. Everyday, make sure to lightly water and in about 3 weeks, there should be some 12cm pea shoots growing, ready for you to pick and use in a delicious salad.

If the weather or temperature outside is cold, the peas will not germinate as they grow faster and easier in warm weather and conditions. Not to worry though as you now know how to grow pea shoots both outside and indoors for when its too cold outside.

How to regrow your peashoots after first use

When you have harvested your first pea shoots make sure to keep the pot and continue to regularly water because the pea shoots are likely to produce a second crop within a few days. This may be slightly smaller than the first crop but it will taste just a good and doesn't require too much effort.