White Acre Pea

White Acre Pea is an heirloom, open-pollinated cowpea variety that’s smaller than a Blackeye Pea, but slightly larger than a Sa Dandy Pea. This southern pea variety has compact yet bushy plants that provide dense foliage for shading any new weed growth. Pods are 7-9″ long and contain an average of 18-25 peas per pod. Pods grow on the top of the plant for easy and clean harvesting. Pods are easy to shell and peas will have a slightly kidney shape due to the semi-crowding in the pod.

At maturity, peas will be pale green when picked fresh. White Acre Pea is a southern delicacy with a mild, nutty flavor and a creamy texture. White Acre is a great pea for preserving. Blanch briefly, vacuum seal and freeze to have delicious peas all winter long, or can in jars for long-term storage. Although relatively drought-tolerant, peas will perform best when planted on drip irrigation so that adequate water is provided throughout the life of the plant.

We recommend White Acre Pea using a walk-behind planter like our Hoss Garden Seeder. Use a #5 seed plate, but always check the hole size and modify if necessary. Because it has a semi-vining growing habit, allow 3-4′ of growing space for each row. Field peas, or “crowder peas”, do very well when planted on double rows. Plant two rows about 6″ apart, then skip over 3-4′ and plant another double row. This will allow you to maximize garden space and produce more vegetables per square foot of garden. Peas should be harvested when pods are full and shelling is easy. If the pods do not shell easily, they likely need to stay on the plant longer.

White Acre Pea Planting Information

Planting Method: direct seed

When to Plant: after last frost

Planting Depth: 1″

Seed Spacing: 3-4″

Row Spacing: 3-4′

Days to Maturity: 70

Disease/Pest Tolerance: None