When do people start sowing peas?

[Digeroo]

I sowed some Feltham First in October and after they were eaten by pigeons I sowed some more under plastic bottles cloches and much to my great surprise there are several bonny little plants under each bottle.  We have had six inches of snow as well as temperatures down to -8.  (pity about the broad beans!!)  One bottle blew off but the rest are all intact.  

I have a couple of pots each of snow peas and snap peas on the go ready to plant out when it gets a bit warmer, and I have some more plus Purple podded and Latvian chitting on the window sill.  Most of them are either saved seeds or 50p bargains so I will not be too upset if they fail.

Latvian is a very tough cookie doesn't mind the cold, lovely raw.  Rather small peas but lovely flowers.  Ok as mange tout.  Total failure as normal peas.  OK in soup.  I have planted them in February the last two years.

[Digeroo]

[1066]

just did a bit of google digging and found some extra info which might explain things a bit better re Douce de Provence -
Pea Douce Provence is a cross between Meteor and Kelvedon Wonder. It is very early, round-seeded and an excellent cropper. This variety can be sown November to February for early cropping before the spring sown varieties.
:-\

[Digeroo]

Does anyone know when to expect crops from autumn sown peas.

The pedigree of the Douce de Provence does not sound very french or very delicate!

[saddad]

"round" peas aren't delicate... like "latvian" or "Purple podded"... they are very frost proof... grown in the middle ages and right throught the "Little Ice Age" as an over winter field crop...  :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

It's an interesting difference. Wrinkle-seeded varieties have more sugar and less starch, hence the shape. Starches don't shrink in drying, where sugars do. They lost hardiness at the same time, but I wonder whether this is due to the extra sugar or other genetic changes which got bred in at the same time?