Grass Pea

Pests & beneficial insects

🐛 Prone to: Aphids

Aphids

Aphididae

Curled leaves, sticky honeydew and ants on patrol — usually with something already eating them.

.

Attract Hoverflies

Hoverflies

Syrphidae

The adults only drink nectar. It is the larvae that eat the aphids.

, Lacewings

Lacewings

Chrysopidae

Golden-eyed adults that mostly drink; larvae that hunt like small alligators.

, Ladybugs

Ladybugs

Coccinellidae

The one predator here where the adults hunt as hard as the larvae do.

, Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps

Braconidae, Ichneumonidae and relatives

Pinhead-sized, stingless, and lethal to aphids and caterpillars from the inside.

to keep them in check — plant African MarigoldGreat, French MarigoldGreat and BuglossGreat nearby.

Growing from seed

Direct-sow Grass Pea outdoors around your last frost date, keeping seeds in cooler soil (around 10–18 °C). Seeds usually come up in around 14 days. Grow in full sun, spaced about 10 cm apart. Expect to harvest in roughly 120 days.

Keep track of the seeds you own.

Companion Planting

• 
  African Marigold
  

  African MarigoldGreat pair

  • ❧African Marigold attracts Hoverflies and Lacewings and more, which prey on the Aphids that attack Grass Pea
  • ❧Grass Pea fixes nitrogen in the soil that African Marigold feeds on
  • ❧African Marigold suppresses pests that trouble Grass Pea
• 
  French Marigold
  

  French MarigoldGreat pair

  • ❧French Marigold attracts Hoverflies and Lacewings and more, which prey on the Aphids that attack Grass Pea
  • ❧Grass Pea fixes nitrogen in the soil that French Marigold feeds on
  • ❧French Marigold suppresses pests that trouble Grass Pea
• 
  Allard's Lavender
  

  Allard's LavenderGreat pair

  • ❧Allard's Lavender attracts Hoverflies and Parasitic wasps, which prey on the Aphids that attack Grass Pea
  • ❧Grass Pea fixes nitrogen in the soil that Allard's Lavender feeds on
  • ❧Grass Pea draws Bees that improve pollination for both

How to grow Grass Pea

1. Sow0 weeks from frost
2. Germinates14 days
3. Space10 cm apart
4. GrowFull sun
5. Harvest~120 days

Water: Low · Height: 60 cm · Soil: Well-draining, tolerates poor and dry soil