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Wando · Zones 3–9
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
Complete Growing Guide
Start by preparing your planting site in late winter, choosing a location with morning sun and some afternoon protection in hot climates. Wando thrives in well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0-7.0, so work in 2-3 inches of compost or aged manure before planting.
Direct sow Wando seeds 2-4 weeks before your last expected frost, planting them 1-2 inches deep and 2 inches apart in rows spaced 18-24 inches apart. In zones 7-9, you can plant as early as February, while northern gardeners should wait until March or April. The seeds germinate in cool soil (45-65°F), so don't wait for warm weather. For continuous harvests, succession plant every 2 weeks until daytime temperatures consistently reach 75°F.
Skip starting indoors—peas transplant poorly and direct seeding produces stronger plants. However, you can pre-soak seeds for 8-12 hours to speed germination, especially in cooler soil.
Install a 4-6 foot trellis or support system at planting time since Wando vines reach 24-30 inches tall. Use bamboo poles, wire mesh, or string trellises. The plants will grab onto supports with their tendrils within 3-4 weeks of emergence.
Fertilize lightly at planting with a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10), then avoid high-nitrogen feeds which promote excessive foliage at the expense of pod production. Peas fix their own nitrogen, so they need more phosphorus and potassium for strong root development and pod filling.
Maintain consistent moisture, providing 1 inch of water weekly. Mulch around plants once they're 4 inches tall to retain moisture and keep roots cool—crucial for Wando's heat tolerance. In hot climates, use reflective mulch or plant on the north side of taller crops for afternoon shade.
Avoid these common mistakes: planting too deep (reduces germination), overwatering (causes root rot), and picking pods too late (makes plants stop producing). Also, never work around wet plants as this spreads disease.
Harvesting
Begin harvesting Wando peas 68-75 days after planting when pods are plump but still bright green and glossy. The pods should feel firm and well-filled when you gently squeeze them, with peas inside that haven't yet lost their sweet tenderness.
Test readiness by opening a sample pod—mature peas should be round, bright green, and sweet when eaten raw. If they taste starchy or appear whitish, you've waited too long. Harvest in the early morning when pods are crisp and sugar content is highest.
Use both hands when picking: hold the vine with one hand and gently twist the pod stem with the other. Wando pods should snap off easily at the stem without damaging the plant. Avoid pulling or tugging, which can uproot the shallow-rooted plants.
Check plants daily once harvesting begins, as Wando's heat tolerance means pods can fill quickly in warm weather. Pick all ready pods to keep the plants producing new flowers and extending your harvest window by 2-3 weeks.
Storage & Preservation
Fresh Wando peas store best when kept in their pods in the refrigerator crisper drawer, maintaining quality for 5-7 days. For immediate use, shell the peas and store them in a perforated bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For longer preservation, blanch shelled peas in boiling water for 90 seconds, then plunge into ice water before freezing in airtight containers. Frozen Wando peas maintain their sweet flavor for up to 8 months.
Wando's tender texture makes it excellent for pressure canning as part of mixed vegetable combinations or soups. The variety's natural sweetness intensifies during processing, making it ideal for batch cooking and meal prep.
You can also dehydrate shelled peas at 125°F for 8-12 hours to create a protein-rich snack or soup ingredient that stores for up to one year in airtight containers.
History & Origin
Wando pea was developed in the 1940s by the USDA Agricultural Research Station in Charleston, South Carolina, specifically to address the challenge faced by Southern gardeners who couldn't successfully grow traditional cool-season peas. Named after the Wando River that flows near Charleston, this variety represented a breakthrough in pea breeding for its remarkable heat tolerance.
The variety was created through selective breeding of European pea varieties crossed with heat-tolerant lines, focusing on maintaining the sweet flavor and tender texture of cool-season peas while extending the viable growing range into warmer USDA zones. Wando became commercially available in the early 1950s and quickly gained popularity among Southern gardeners and commercial growers.
This variety essentially opened up pea cultivation to millions of gardeners in zones 7-9 who had previously been unable to grow peas successfully due to rapidly warming spring temperatures. Today, Wando remains a standard recommendation for heat-prone regions and has influenced the development of other heat-tolerant pea varieties.
Advantages
- +Exceptional heat tolerance allows growing in zones 7-9 where other peas fail
- +Extended harvest window of 3-4 weeks due to continued flowering in warm weather
- +Strong fusarium wilt resistance prevents common soil-borne diseases
- +Reliable germination in cool, wet spring soil conditions
- +Maintains sweetness even when harvested in warmer temperatures
- +Compact 24-30 inch vines require less trellis space than tall varieties
- +Good processing quality for freezing and canning
Considerations
- -Lower yields compared to cool-season varieties in ideal conditions
- -Still struggles in extreme heat above 85°F despite heat tolerance
- -More susceptible to aphid damage in warm weather
- -Shorter overall growing season than traditional cool-season peas
- -Pods can become tough quickly if harvest is delayed in hot weather
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Carrots
Peas improve soil nitrogen for carrots, while carrots' deep roots don't compete with pea's shallow roots
Radishes
Break up soil for pea roots and mature quickly before peas need full space
Lettuce
Benefits from nitrogen fixed by peas and provides living mulch
Spinach
Thrives in nitrogen-rich soil created by pea's nitrogen fixation
Cucumbers
Peas provide nitrogen for heavy-feeding cucumbers and can share trellises
Corn
Corn provides natural trellis support while peas fix nitrogen for corn
Beans
Both legumes improve soil nitrogen and can be succession planted
Mint
Repels ants and rodents that may damage pea seeds and pods
Keep Apart
Onions
Can inhibit pea growth and nitrogen fixation through root exudates
Garlic
Allelopathic compounds can stunt pea growth and reduce pod production
Gladiolus
Competes aggressively for nutrients and can harbor pea weevils
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Good resistance to fusarium wilt and heat stress. Moderate powdery mildew resistance.
Common Pests
Aphids, pea weevils, thrips, cutworms
Diseases
Powdery mildew, root rot, bacterial blight, mosaic virus