How to Grow Mangetout From a Hanging Basket

A hanging basket draped with the crisp sweet pods of the mangetout pea adds a snappy touch to the summer garden. Mangetout, perhaps more familiar under the name sugar pea or snap pea, produces flat bright green pods that encase rows of delicate peas. Harvest a handful of crisp mangetout peas for a summer salad or sauté them for a few moments before serving. Mangetout peas are best eaten pod and all. Start peas in containers outdoors in the spring as soon as the last frost date has passed.

• 1

  Select a 12-inch hanging basket or planter that is 12 to 14 inches deep. A 2-gallon container has similar dimensions and is also suitable. Look for a container that has several drainage holes in the bottom.

• 2

  Fill the hanging basket to 1 inch below the lip of the pot with good quality potting soil. Sterile potting soil with added nutrients is available at home and garden stores. Make your own potting soil by combining equal parts vermiculite and peat moss. Add a 5-10-10 or a 6-12-12 fertilizer to the soil mix before planting. Check the package to determine the appropriate amount.

• 3

  Make three 1-inch-deep holes about 3 inches apart in the potting soil. Place one mangetout pea seed in each hole and cover with 1 inch of soil.

• 4

  Soak the pot until water drains through the holes in the bottom. Once it has drained through, hang up the basket in a sunny location where the peas will get at least six hours of sun each day.

• 5

  Water daily in dry weather and every other day in cool or damp weather. Potted plants tend to dry out faster than plants in the garden. To determine when to water, feel the top of the soil -- if it is dry to the touch, soak the pot until water runs from the drainage holes in the bottom.

• 6

  Begin fertilizing the seedlings after they have germinated and the plants are about 2 inches tall. Fertilize once a week using a 8-16-8 or a 10-20-10 fertilizer. Check the package to determine the appropriate dilution and application. Avoid getting fertilizer on the leaves or stem of the mangetout plants.

• 7

  Harvest the pods continuously as they ripen. To remove the pods, clip the mangetout peas from the plant using your fingernails or a sharp pair of nippers. Avoid tugging on the vine, as it will disturb the root system and may damage the plant.