Topic: Tall peas

[Paulh]

I've always grown short peas like Kelvedon Wonder, Onward and Rondo which are about 2' 6" or 3' tall. I get about three pickings from a short, narrow row which each do a family of four reasonably well. I treat them as a catch crop to use space that later in the season other things will grow into.

Do the taller varieties produce more pods and last longer? It seems they would take up more space, but I can plan for that.

So, tall peas or short peas?

[Borderers1951]

I grow or have grown both types and haven't really noticed much difference in yield in the past.  I am on a new plot this year and, as an experiment, have planted only 4 rows of KW.  The later two rows were affected by mice but the replacements are coming along nicely.  The earlier two rows have given about 4lbs (shelled weight) each which is an improvement on my previous plot.  If the experiment with only one short variety works, then I will probably stick with it in the future

[squeezyjohn]

I've found that in terms of crop, the newer shorter varieties tend to give a similar crop to the tall ones - in fact they sometimes outperform the taller ones.

However - the taller peas seem to crop over a longer time period so I have found that growing enough tall peas can reduce the need for as many successive sowings.

Finally the tall peas can obviously have a light advantage.  I often try to plan my plantings so that crops do or don't shade other crops - and my preferred order if planting east-west rows from south to north is: short peas (sugar snap type) - tall peas (maincrop or drying) - lettuces.  Alternatively I plant north-south rows of tall peas with lettuces in between.

[Digeroo]

I use tall peas as a wind break so they are along the west side of my plot.  Keeps the worst of the wind off the runner beans and courgettes.  We have trees in all the other directions.

I am not convinced they produce more, though I am currently in danger of turning green from eating mangetout.  The tall Telephone are ok but for me not the best for flavour.

[Paulh]

Thanks, that's all very interesting and helpful. Something to think about when planning for next season!

[saddad]

I'm firmly in favour of HSL tall peas like Magnum Bonum... they do crop over a longer period, they taste better.. but I find any attempt at quantifying yield is sabotaged by the desire to keep eating them off the plant.. over a longer period of time I'm sure that makes a difference..

[squeezyjohn]

agreed ... Magnum Bonum are amazing ... nothing comes close for flavour eaten straight out of the pod!

[galina]

A great lover of tall peas too.  Good flavour and longer yield.  Many people start sowing their peas too late, at the same time as beans.  Peas that take a bit longer to yield need that extra spring growing time and can easily tolerate a bit of frost.  The other method to keep tall peas going and yielding well is to keep watering.  They may need a bit more care than 'flash in the pan' short peas, but I find their yield is higher.

I agree with you Digeroo, mangetout are higher yielding.  For the simple reason that we keep picking the pods young, which stimulates more flowering.  Shelling pea pods which stay on the plants for longer, signal to the plant that it is 'job done' because they are growing seeds and that means the plant slows down flowering and concentrates energy into the ripening pods. 

[Paulh]

Looks like I'd better try some next year then!

Thanks

[Digeroo]

I start mine end of February/early march under bottle cloches, otherwise I find they simply become vole/mouse/squirrel/deer food.  I ensure that the sprouts will be  below grown level by earthing the bottles up and only leaving a few inches window at the top.  This year they were earthed up with manure, so have done very well indeed.

I watch for a potential nice day in a few days, and then put them to chit in kitchen roll.

I have been eating them now for several weeks.  Given away lots too.  It has been good having things early to give away because it starts the cycle off.

Been given a broccoli and a tomato plant. 

I have grown Franchi Swiss Giants this year,  Good number of seeds in the packet, and gorgeous pink/purple flowers.  Great wind break keeping beans and courgettes out of the wind.  They do need supports, I used knitting wool between canes.  Stringing it up was rather a cold job. (April)

They are certainly a win win situation for me.

I prepare the site well in October/November since it is cold in Feb/March so I will not want to stay long to throw them into the soil. 

I have purple sprouting getting ready to go between the peas.  Then net year the peas can go between the purple sprouting.   

Since I rotate the brassicas this only happens one year in three but it is always the best year for the brassicas when they share the space with the peas.

[Vinlander]

One of the biggest advantages of tall peas for me is that they are more productive per pea - this makes it  feasible to raise a whole row's worth in pots indoors in early spring, so that they are 30cm+ tall with fully depleted seeds - so they can go out at the earliest possible date (which coincides with when the mice are hungriest).

In general plants this size will be ignored unless there is absolutely nothing else to eat.

By removing the long narrow sides of juice cartons I get bottomless pots that will hold 7-12 seeds, and 5 of them in a gravel tray (or a seed tray lined with plastic) is a metre of row.

I tried the guttering method but there's just not enough soil or depth to grow healthy 30cm pea plants , and they are a lot harder to water from below.

I don't believe anyone who says they can sow rows of Kelvedon Wonder direct in early March and get no mouse damage - unless they have a cat density approaching 1 per square metre... Though a flat panel of expanded metal can protect the soil and the seeds the young sprouts are too delicious.

Cheers