Peas I'm growing this year

[Robert_Brenchley]

There are more on the way, but so far the list is:

Robinson's Purple Podded

Victorian Purple Podded

Ezethas Krombek Blauschok

Commander

Clarke's Beltony Blue

Lancashire Lad

Purple Flowered Russian

Hugh's Huge

Hatif d'Annonay

Serpette Guilotteau

Champion of England

Early Onward (I fancied trying a standard type for comparison)

Robinson

McPartlin

Alderman

Magnum Bonum

Golden Sweet

Bijou

Carouby de Mausanne

Irish Preans

Salmon-Flowered Pea

There are a lot I only have a very few seeds of, but I should have a dozen or so for swaps later. I set out to get a rare and interesting variety called 'Kent Blue' (it is on the way), and ended up deluged. The ones I only have a few of can be intercropped with the onions and garlic without shading anything out, so there will be space.

[Digeroo]

Looks like you are going to have lots of Ps.  Interested in the intercropping with onion.  Last year I intercropped with brocolli, which seemed ok.   I will be interested in which you like best.

[grannyjanny]

I think we can assume you love peas Robert .

[Mortality]

ohh purple ones and yellow ones, im going pea green with envy 

[grawrc]

I'm beginning  to feel inadequate now. I only have 4 varieties!!!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'll be spreading them around as soon as I have enough seed. I plan to write revies of everything which I can grow enough of to make a fair assessment. You're quite right, by the way. We do like peas.

[Mortality]

I'll be spreading them around as soon as I have enough seed. I plan to write revies of everything which I can grow enough of to make a fair assessment. You're quite right, by the way. We do like peas.

It would be nice to have a section on A4A for plant and veg reviews.

[cornykev]

I'll have a P please Bob.             

[greensausage]

Great list    I have a few interesting varieties to grow this year too, but only a few not as many as you.

[Robert_Brenchley]

It would be nice to have a section on A4A for plant and veg reviews.

Good idea, and another thing we could do with is a section on seed saving. Some veg like peas, French beans and toms are so easy to save that there's no need for anyone to go buying new seed every year. Others, like squashes, are a little more trouble, but still quite easy. There are only a very few where it's not practical to save your own.

[Jayb]

Nice list Robert, should keep you a little busy     I'd love some Salmon flowered when you have some spare.

[Robert_Brenchley]

All being well, I should have some in the autumn. Carlin Peas just arrived this morning. They've got interesting speckly brown seeds, and were recorded in Tudor times. As far as I know it's still the same variety.

[calendula]

I'll have a P please Bob.             

   - although some might not get the joke reference

fantastic list of peas - and what a great idea of the review, look forward to that as I grow a large amount of peas (you have to really to get excellent crops) - gave up on purple ones from a few years ago, tasty of nothing and a bit mushy

[Robert_Brenchley]

I nicked the idea from here, but she's only done a few varieties. http://www.angelfire.com/az/garethknight/dots/varieties.html

I like the purple podded peas, but I realise they're not everyone's cup of tea.

[Mortality]

  Love her blog.

[Ian Pearson]

Some great varieties there,  some I don't recognise.

Purple peas have their advantages. Try this technique to stretch production. (Requires rich soil, strong tall supports, and regular watering). Sow a purple podded variety in modules as early as possible, and plant out when ready. Once they are about 1 to 2 ft high direct sow a green podded type right alongside the first variety so that they will climb up through them. Harvest the purple pods when they are ready – they are easy to distinguish from the foliage because of the colour contrast. If timing is right the second variety follows on from the first. Again the colour coding helps with identification if there are any of the first variety still there. As the first variety finishes cropping, direct sow a third crop in the same place – this time climbing French beans to climb up through the dying peas (luck required to get a good crop). Alternatives for the third crop are cucumbers, or achocha, or climbing types of Winter squash.

This might not work this year with such a late Spring, (I would normally have peas out in the ground by now) but it usually does okay in an average season.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've been giving that method some pretty serious consideration! I'm hesitant because a lot of the varieties Ive got are very rare indeed, and I'd hate to get them mixed up. Fortunately I have stacks of poles, and a cheap source right there on site. I only have a very few seeds of a lot of varieties, so those can be grown through other crops - probably alliums - without doing any damage. I'm going to have wigwams scattered all over the plot.

[james1]

How many do you plant of each variety and do you grow anything else....
 

[Robert_Brenchley]

One wigwam per variety. I grow plenty of other crops, but I'm squeezing the peas in as well. If I end up cutting down on anything, it'll probably be potatoes and toms, since I've lost them to blight three years on the trot.

[markfield rover]

Guessing you have some Latvian peas if not you are welcome to some.