Topic: Peas, peas, peas

[galina]

At the moment all the peas are coming in.  Mine are mostly mangetouts and snap peas, but we have enjoyed a meal of shelling peas earlier in the week and frozen some for Christmas too.  At the top Court Estate Gold mangetout, the yellow sickle shaped snap pea is Charlie's Goldsnap, the smaller purple and green snaps are Sugarbeth Snaps (from a cross made by Jayb) and the larger purple snaps are Alan Kapuler's Sugar Magnolia.  We also have Spring Blush, but I forgot to take a picture of them. 

[Tiny Clanger]

Did not try peas this year.  Went for peas shoots in stead.  Really easy and I can use dried peas from the supermarket instead of expensive seed.   

[Tee Gee]

Not growing any this year now that I am down to one plot. Nice as they are, they take up too much time & effort for the return so they were one of my sacrifices! So I will have to make do with the Captain's frozen peas from now on!

[Paulh]

Put in a row of mangetout - they are worth their while.

[woodypecks]

Mine were all eaten by birds or mice..sown more ...sigh ...... I will not give up !      Debbie   

[galina]

Sorry to hear that Debbie.

I start very early (mid February indoors, transplant a month later, they are amazingly frost tolerant).  And the pods get harvested much earlier than beans.  I mostly grow tall varieties and many of those are large mangetouts which mature quickly.  Large podded mangetout, like Carouby de Maussane are among the favourites and you don't need many to fill a pot for dinner. 

I agree that rows of short shelling peas are a lot of work for not so much return.  Still nice for snacking fresh in the garden but otherwise we might as well trouble the Captain whose fully mechanised harvesting has led to a cheap and good product year round! 

Old fashioned shelling pea varieties like Telephone or Alderman do give higher yields for many weeks on 2m tall plants,  Now that seeds for Sugar Magnolia or Spring Blush can be bought in this country, the tall snap pea (eat the fleshy pods and peas inside, no waste) is a world away from that row of short plants with low yielding shelling peas. And they keep going for some time whereas the short varieties usually become mature all at once   For mangetout, 5ft Weggiser is amazingly high yielding and lasts well into summer too.  There is also a half tall (4ft) purple mangetout called Shiraz and the yellow podded tall Goldensweet for colour variety.   Seeds for the tall peas are a bit harder to find, but are getting more readily available these days. 

The problem with tall peas is their unpredictability.  In a cool, rainy year they can last into September, giving 3-4 months of sustained harvests.  But an early summer heatwave like now tends to finish the plants off much quicker.  No problem there's plenty of opportunity for a follow-on crop.     

   

[Paulh]

Thanks, Galina, that's really helpful.

I've grown the mangetouts "Oregon Sugar Snap" and "Shiraz" for some years and now the yellow podded "Opal Creek" for the first time - just had a lovely tricoloured serving with my dinner. Do you leave the "Opal Creek" to look more like a sugar snap or eat them when like a (rather narrow) mangetout? Good to know they can go on for some months - they are only about 3' high now so have the rest of the 6' net to grow up still.

[galina]

Yes Paul, Opal Creek is  a relatively narrow snap pea.  Something to do with the yellow colour genes affecting pod width.  I leave them for a little longer until they are just starting to develop peas inside.  They won't get to the size of Sugar Snap. The reason I bred Charlie's Goldsnap (in the photo) was that it is a little bigger than Opal Creek as it has different parentage, but also has the narrower pod shape.  Interesting that not all Opal Creek pods are sickle moon shaped.  Some are straight.  Even on the same plant.  Opal Creek is Sugar Snap crossed with Golden Sweet. Was bred by Alan Kapuler.  Opal Creek has very sweet flavour.  A fine pea. 

I doubt your vines will make the rest of the netting now.  Peas put on their main growth much earlier in spring and especially in damp and cloudy weather.  In this weather and brightness there won't be much extra growth.  However,  Opal Creek is one of the peas that lasts well into summer.  They have been trialled in Hawai!  Shiraz is a shorter variety max 4ft,  with large purple mangetouts.  I steam my peas briefly and the purple stays purple that way.  Yes it is fun to have 3 colours on the dinner plate.  These are the sort of peas you just cannot buy but have to grow yourself. 


 

Thanks, Galina, that's really helpful.

I've grown the mangetouts "Oregon Sugar Snap" and "Shiraz" for some years and now the yellow podded "Opal Creek" for the first time - just had a lovely tricoloured serving with my dinner. Do you leave the "Opal Creek" to look more like a sugar snap or eat them when like a (rather narrow) mangetout? Good to know they can go on for some months - they are only about 3' high now so have the rest of the 6' net to grow up still.

[Paulh]

Thanks, Galina.

What you say about vine growth is interesting and bears out my limited experience of later sowings of peas. I sowed the "Opal Creek" at the end of April, and some "Alderman" at the end of May, so I could have two slightly ridiculous looking frames on my plot! Does this mean that, although seed packets generally say peas can be sowed into June, it really isn't worth it later than early April?

[galina]

Not quite Paul.  I think early April is actually a bit late, but better by far than June. 

Some people (not me unfortunately) have good success with later sowings.  It is just that mid summer period that isn't so good for pea growth.  Earlier and later is more successful.

However, here the later sown plants (July sown) always get mildewed and perish before a meaningful harvest.  I know that Squash64 had very good late mangetouts, so it is possible.  Sow now for an early October harvest, just that I haven't been able to make it work for me.  Easier also for mangetout/snaps than for shelling peas.  Good luck.   

Thanks, Galina.

What you say about vine growth is interesting and bears out my limited experience of later sowings of peas. I sowed the "Opal Creek" at the end of April, and some "Alderman" at the end of May, so I could have two slightly ridiculous looking frames on my plot! Does this mean that, although seed packets generally say peas can be sowed into June, it really isn't worth it later than early April?