Topic: pea questions

[Justy]

Hi all

I have not grown peas before and planted some rows a few weeks ago and covered the rows with some twigs to keep the birds off.

They are all coming through nicely and are about 1.5" high.  I have noticed that all of the leaves look like tiny little bite marks have been taken out round the edge.  Is this what they are supposed to look like?!  ???  I figured that a slug would eat the lot (unless it was a particularly refined slug who just wanted a little nibble of each leaf) which led me to wonder if pea leaves are jaggedy.  Also do I need to put sticks in for them to climb up.  I have read conflicting advice in books so would like some advice from the real experts!

[ellkebe]

Hi Justy

I planted some indoors  (ready for when the ones outdoors don't come up, get eaten, zapped by frost  etc!!) that are now about the same height as yours, some a little larger.  No sign of the nibble marks you mention - the leaves seem basically round and smooth.

Incidentally - how long did it take yours to come up outside?  Mine have been in a raised bed for a week - and I'm getting impatient!

Ellkebe

[wardy]

Twiggy sticks to support your peas as they grow.  I've never grown peas so it's a first for me too.  I have some frilly edge peas too.  I think that's how they are supposed to be.  I just copied twiggy stick thing off the other lotty holders.  After planting mine out (didn't know if it was too early but everyone else was doing it) I popped plastic water bottles cut in half over them for about a week until they were growing away nicely.  I didn't dig a bed for them.  Just put them where a bonfire had been and made a hole with a bulb planter.  Did same with the broad beans too.  They look ok for it - well at the mo anyway.  Time will tell. 

[legless]

mine have that too.

[Tulipa]

Mine are about 3-4" high and look as though the leaves have been nibbled too.

[Merry Tiller]

Pea & bean weevil I'm afraid but so long as they're growing strongly they should shrug off any damage, it's a problem on my allotment too, that and Flea beetles

[Macca]

yep i've got munched leaves aswell, was led to beileve it's weevil too. but they are growing fine still.
Ellkebe, it took about 3 weeks for mine to come up in my raised bed. Started to think they were a no go,

[wardy]

Eee you live and learn.  I thought I had a frilly edged variety  ;D

[Justy]

me too Wardy!  They are very neat precise little weevils.  Mine have been in since end of March (again following advice from the packet).  They look ok so hopefully they will pass through the weevilly phase and start growing.

I have put the twigs in a fairly haphazard sort of way over mine (almost like a twiggy tunnel) so I hope they will be ok.  Only other person who seems to have peas near me is just letting them grow as they are (and they are covered in flowers).

[RSJK]

I think you can dust them with derris dust to deter the weevil, but as others have said if you keep them growing strong they will get over the attack

[kenkew]

F.First have a bit of a crinkley edge to the leaf that could be mistaken for tiny nibbles. I just sowed my third lot of peas yesterday. First lot didn't do as well as the second sowing, maybe a bit on the cool side for them.

[DJEM]

I sowed Feltham First on 2nd Feb outside. Took 40 days to germinate, and are still very dissapointing looking. My Ambassador peas (sown under glass April14) are coming close and so will fill the gaps soon.

I don't think I'll bother with very early peas next year.

Peas are great to grow, mind you. Really good crop last year, and they are fabulously sweet straight from the pod.

Dave

[Justy]

my second sowing are better than the first too.  I have done a mixture of Meteor and Hurst something.  Never grown peas before so really looking forward to them if i can get them through the weevil thing.

I have planted 3 rows (each row about 4ft across the bed) so I expect there are about 15 pea plants per row - is this a reasonable amount?

[redimp]

Sowed mine mid to late march - Greenshaft.  They took ages to germinate (so long I thought they had gone rotten or been eaten by mice.  Now they are up they have been weevilled to high heaven and look very sorry for themselves.  Whatsmore, my Ivy leaf tea is ready so I thought I would give it a try so I sprayed it on - then it rained.  >:(

[Justy]

whats ivy leaf tea (i assume you don't drink it!)

[legless]

ok so my peas in the ground have practically been anihilated.  they were only tiny when they started getting the crinkly nibbled leaves, but the ones in gutters on a stand 18" off the ground are fine. are these weevils grund dwelling beasties?

[redimp]

whats ivy leaf tea (i assume you don't drink it!)

No you don't - its poisonous (see request for safety tops on pests and diseases).  It is also poisonous to aphids and some other bugs so I am hoping it might work on weevils.  It is made the same way as comfrey tea.

[ellkebe]

Ellkebe, it took about 3 weeks for mine to come up in my raised bed. Started to think they were a no go,

Thanks - I'll try to be patient then!

Ellkebe