Description
Grow the sweet, tender Little Marvel Peas, an heirloom favorite known for its high-yielding, compact plants. Perfect for small gardens, this variety produces short vines that don’t require support, yielding abundant 3–4″ pods with 6–7 dark green peas each. Ideal for fresh eating or freezing, Little Marvel offers an extended harvest period, letting you enjoy flavorful peas throughout spring and fall. Its frost-tolerant nature makes it a versatile addition to northern gardens and cooler climates.
Sow outdoors 4–6 weeks before your last frost when soil temperatures reach 40°–80°F, or again 10–12 weeks before the first frost for a fall harvest. Harvest pods when they’re plump and at peak flavor, and mulch soil to keep roots cool in warmer weather. With proper spacing and air circulation, you can minimize powdery mildew and enjoy a long, productive season. Compact, easy-to-grow, and delicious, Little Marvel Peas are a must-have for any gardener seeking classic heirloom flavor.
This packet contains 86 seeds.
Variety Info:
Days to Maturity: 55 – 60 days
Family: Fabaceae
Type: Shelling Pea (Learn more)
Native: Western Asia, Europe, and North Africa
Hardiness: Frost-tolerant annual
Exposure: Full Sun
Plant Dimensions: 18″–24″ tall
Variety Info: 3-4″ long pods containing 6-7 dark green peas.
Attributes: Frost Tolerant
Sowing Info:
When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date, when soil temperature is at least 40°F, ideally 60°–80°F, and again 10 to 12 weeks before your average first frost date. In mild climates, sow in fall or winter for winter harvest. Best grown in temperatures less than 85°F.
When to Start Inside: Not recommended.
Days to Emerge: 5 – 10 Days
Seed Depth: 1″
Seed Spacing: 2″
Row Spacing: 18″
Thinning: Not required
Growing Info:
Harvesting: Shelling peas should be harvested when the pods are plump, about 3 weeks after flowering. Peas that are too mature are tough and will cause the plant to stop producing; therefore, harvest regularly when pods are at their peak. Use scissors to harvest or hold vine with one hand and pick the pods with the other; vines are fragile.
Special Care: Supporting even short vines on a short fence or trellis makes harvesting easier. Peas may also be grown in mounds on the ground. If grown on mounds, row spacing should be increased to 24″–36″. Roots must stay cool; when temperatures begin to warm, mulch soil surface to keep them cool. Powdery mildew looks like a white powder on leaves, and thrives in weather with high relative humidity and cool nights. Reduce chances of this disease by watering only in the morning and during the day. Keep leaves dry; do not water plants overhead. Provide good air circulation by proper plant spacing. Do not compost diseased plants; spores may over-winter and re-infect crops the following season. Powdery mildew is more common in the fall and choosing a resistant pea variety for fall sowing further reduces the likelihood of infection.
