Topic: Pea question

[small]

I bought a new pack of peas last year (alderman, I think, I've chucked the empty pack) and  had excellent germination and a great crop. |I sowed the remains of the packet this year and the germination is down to about a third. They were kept dry and cool, so I don't think that's the issue. My question is, is this just how peas are? I'm used to runner beans lasting for years in store, so I sort of assumed peas would be the same. Any ideas from more experienced growers?

[Paulh]

I find they are usually good for a couple of years or so. This year the "Kelvedon Wonder" have had only a bare 50% germination rate, but I now see that they were no better last year when newly bought, so I should have thrown them away and got some more!

[saddad]

Hi both, we grow several varieties of HSL peas and save our own seed, germination rates only drop off after 5 years. We keep our in old jam jars or similar... rarely trust shop bought ones as you don't know how long they have been "on the shelf" often in paper packets in full sun...

[Plot22]

I only grow Hurstgreenshaft because there is 8 to 10 in a pod and they are easy to pod. I have tried all sorts Alderman Onward etc and they are a nightmare to pod. I always chit my peas on damp kitchen towel and the sow in a 4" row . Never had any problem with germination once they had come off the kitchen towel however last year was a DISASTER after they had come through under clotches and wire netting I put barrier netting around the rows as normal to support the growing peas but then the sparrows decimated the whole crop nicking the growing tips. Result the worse season ever on peas. The whole site was the same no peas. Plan B for this year as soon as I put the barrier netting up I have a bird poof netting to go over this at around 3' tall to stop the sparrows . We shall see. I always keep some seed for the following year and purchase extra. I have found that they keep for at least 3 years even longer under certain situations but I put my own seed in air tight jars.

[small]

Thanks all. I'm not sure I'll bother again with peas, they are a lot of work - I sow in pots in the greenhouse, then plant out, protecting from the pigeons is a nightmare, and podding isn't the easiest. Ho hum.

[Paulh]

Thanks all. I'm not sure I'll bother again with peas, they are a lot of work - I sow in pots in the greenhouse, then plant out, protecting from the pigeons is a nightmare, and podding isn't the easiest. Ho hum.

But they taste better than any you can buy, even Birdseye.

[JanG]

I love podding peas. I was always given that job to do as a child, so it takes me back to summers sitting in a deckchair in the garden, happily podding, and snaffling a few. But of course, mangetout and sugar snap give much more for less effort than podded peas.

But I agree that pigeons, sitting on any supports or simply on a bunch of plants which will support their weight, and stripping all within reach, are a real pain. Peas certainly need lots of protection in both the early and later stages of growth. I guess I find that the challenge is part of the enjoyment - but perhaps only when I’m winning.

[Vetivert]

Thanks all. I'm not sure I'll bother again with peas, they are a lot of work - I sow in pots in the greenhouse, then plant out, protecting from the pigeons is a nightmare, and podding isn't the easiest. Ho hum.

A semi-dwarf eat-all variety that is self-supporting in wide rows or with minimal peasticks may suit you better. Cascadia is a snap that grows 60-90cm, Oregon Sugar Pod is a flat mangetout that grows to about the same height. Both are disease resistant and easy enough to chuck some bird netting over. I sympathise with the sentiment about peas being a lot of work, esp. tall peas... but I just love them too much!

[small]

I've tried a few varieties of mangtout, and don't actually like them much! I'll see how I feel about this year's crop, as you say the taste of home-grown peas is just so different. I just don't seem to get a huge crop, not like the runner and french beans - I grew so many of those 1n 2020 that I didn't bother last year, the freezer was still packed!

[Beersmith]

I've tried a few varieties of mangtout, and don't actually like them much! I'll see how I feel about this year's crop, as you say the taste of home-grown peas is just so different. I just don't seem to get a huge crop, not like the runner and french beans - I grew so many of those 1n 2020 that I didn't bother last year, the freezer was still packed!

I'm happy to freeze some French beans, but have given up on freezing runner beans.  The difference between fresh runners and those slightly grey, soft frozen ones is, to me, so great I cannot be bothered to even try freezing anymore.  French beans are similarly better fresh but do seem to freeze rather better.  Generally speaking I'm quite happy with a bit of seasonality.  It heightens the appreciation to know particular products will be at their very best for a few weeks or months then to patiently wait for next year.

That said I may just be bad at freezing!

[Vinlander]

I apologise for being tetchy today - all the posts in this thread are actually top notch - probably just me... but.

The issue of "are green beans worth freezing" has come up several times, and though "TOP TIPS" is excellent for tools & techniques, it isn't ideal for this - we probably need a FAQ archive for this kind of thing. This note would fit in a section covering "best way to preserve vegetable X".  Most commercial sites offering services have FAQs, and effectively say (not in so many words) "if you haven't looked in our FAQ our support team may ignore your question". OTOH some FAQs are really crap - but the help desk probably try to compensate - most people take a justified pride in their work - web designers not so much (ie. fire & forget).

I've moaned about the difficulty of getting specific results from the search function several times before, so there's no way I'm going to blame anybody for not using it - in this case a FAQ would be better anyway. I don't think FAQs would need any more moderation than any other post (assuming people look at the FAQs before posting the exact same danged thing).

We haven't got FAQs so I'm happy to venture my opinion - it's no better than anyone else's - I agree that frozen runner beans are not worth eating, but I consider frozen frenchies to be well inside the same category.

Bottled veg tend to be much better generally, and cans should be just as good - but often aren't - probably because you can see (when you buy them) which bottled ones have more residual integrity, whereas the cans are probably boiled to buggery because it's easier to do that than monitor their progress or build up expertise of which varieties need more or less boiling (I don't believe that expense is a magical ingredient - it's more likely that bottling companies realise that as soon as their expensive product tastes as bad as the cheap one they will go to the wall).

But my key point - (or shall I say reminder?) is that frozen meals nearly always taste exactly as good as they were fresh-cooked. A perfect example of this is green beans that have been lightly cooked with a little oil, onion and a touch of canned tomato before they are frozen - I simply love them. The additional ingredients fit into the gaps between the beans and even if the end result is an identical volume the beans lose no flavour.  They may need to be the basis for a stew (put in towards the end), they may need a little garlic and herbs to make them a perfect companion to grilled chops.

It's really worth buying okra in high season and using the same technique - growing them without pesticides is a nightmare - especially when you could grow more & various peppers in that space.

Any veg that goes in a stew can be given the same treatment, there are also endless combinations of "meal precursor" ingredients that don't need onion or tomato.

I'll say again - none of these need to take up more space than the bare ingredients - and if they are cooked just beyond blanching they can actually take up less space.

Cheers.

PS. the flip side of this is that IMHO the only veg worth freezing 'solo' are seeds with a skin on - all peas and bean seeds seem to keep all the flavour they would have if you cooked fresh - and commercial frozen green peas just-defrosted even keep a little of the flavour & texture of fresh peas - I often eat them with a sandwich - a spoonful of peas goes in with a mouthful of sandwich - so easy and delicious I can't even be bothered mashing them (I would only do this to stop them escaping from the sandwich).

PPS. I never cook or freeze my home grown peas - I pod them and eat them as soon as they are in the house.

I feel better now.

[Beersmith]

I apologise for being tetchy today - all the posts in this thread are actually top notch - probably just me... but.

I feel better now.

Good!! For my part, I'm entirely happy for people to say it as they see it.  Have a like.