Topic: Early peas in the poly yippee

[sunloving]

  hi all, I sowed peas in the polytunnel this march to see if I could force them a bit and it's worked a treat. I was worried about pollination however I'm now
looking at six foot high plants covered in lovely full pods. I sowed early Alaskan and can definitely recommend it! Might try some as late peas to. Try it you might like it!! X sunloving

[Hector]

Brilliant ;)

[woodypecks]

Sounds good Sunloving ! Thanks , might give them a go . :)

[Plot 18]

Good going!
I made an early sowing (Feb IIRC) of Winterkefe mangetout and I had the first handful stir-fried tonight 

[Digeroo]

peas can self pollinate.  They tend to come up with seeds true to the variety.  To keep the line pure you have to remove any rogue plants as soon as they show any variation from the standard and before they flower.

[galina]

peas can self pollinate.  They tend to come up with seeds true to the variety.  To keep the line pure you have to remove any rogue plants as soon as they show any variation from the standard and before they flower.

May I disagree, Digeroo?  Even if you had a rogue plant you don't need to remove it, because it will not cross pollinate any other pea plant, even grown close by.  I have never had a crossed pea plant (unless I deliberately crossed it myself).  You can grow different varieties in close proximity.  The only problem there is that at seed harvest time it may be difficult to distinguish which seed is which, unless the plant has been tagged.   

[Silverleaf]

I agree with Galina - a rogue pea plant won't "pollute" your gene pool because it will only fertilise itself, so all you need to do is eat all the peas from that plant and save seeds only from the "correct" plants.