There are more on the way, but so far the list is:
Robinson's Purple Podded
Victorian Purple Podded
Ezethas Krombek Blauschok
Commander
Clarke's Beltony Blue
Lancashire Lad
Purple Flowered Russian
Hugh's Huge
Hatif d'Annonay
Serpette Guilotteau
Champion of England
Early Onward (I fancied trying a standard type for comparison)
Robinson
McPartlin
Alderman
Magnum Bonum
Golden Sweet
Bijou
Carouby de Mausanne
Irish Preans
Salmon-Flowered Pea
There are a lot I only have a very few seeds of, but I should have a dozen or so for swaps later. I set out to get a rare and interesting variety called 'Kent Blue' (it is on the way), and ended up deluged. The ones I only have a few of can be intercropped with the onions and garlic without shading anything out, so there will be space.
Looks like you are going to have lots of Ps. Interested in the intercropping with onion. Last year I intercropped with brocolli, which seemed ok. I will be interested in which you like best.
I think we can assume you love peas Robert ;D ;D ;D.
ohh purple ones and yellow ones, im going pea green with envy :P
I'm beginning to feel inadequate now. I only have 4 varieties!!! :-[ :-[ :'(
I'll be spreading them around as soon as I have enough seed. I plan to write revies of everything which I can grow enough of to make a fair assessment. You're quite right, by the way. We do like peas.
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on February 28, 2010, 10:11:58
I'll be spreading them around as soon as I have enough seed. I plan to write revies of everything which I can grow enough of to make a fair assessment. You're quite right, by the way. We do like peas.
It would be nice to have a section on A4A for plant and veg reviews.
I'll have a P please Bob. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :-X
Great list :) I have a few interesting varieties to grow this year too, but only a few not as many as you.
Quote from: Mortality on February 28, 2010, 10:27:55
It would be nice to have a section on A4A for plant and veg reviews.
Good idea, and another thing we could do with is a section on seed saving. Some veg like peas, French beans and toms are so easy to save that there's no need for anyone to go buying new seed every year. Others, like squashes, are a little more trouble, but still quite easy. There are only a very few where it's not practical to save your own.
Nice list Robert, should keep you a little busy ;D I'd love some Salmon flowered when you have some spare.
All being well, I should have some in the autumn. Carlin Peas just arrived this morning. They've got interesting speckly brown seeds, and were recorded in Tudor times. As far as I know it's still the same variety.
Quote from: cornykev on February 28, 2010, 11:02:03
I'll have a P please Bob. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :-X
;D ;D - although some might not get the joke reference
fantastic list of peas - and what a great idea of the review, look forward to that as I grow a large amount of peas (you have to really to get excellent crops) - gave up on purple ones from a few years ago, tasty of nothing and a bit mushy
I nicked the idea from here, but she's only done a few varieties. http://www.angelfire.com/az/garethknight/dots/varieties.html
I like the purple podded peas, but I realise they're not everyone's cup of tea.
;D Love her blog.
Some great varieties there, some I don't recognise.
Purple peas have their advantages. Try this technique to stretch production. (Requires rich soil, strong tall supports, and regular watering). Sow a purple podded variety in modules as early as possible, and plant out when ready. Once they are about 1 to 2 ft high direct sow a green podded type right alongside the first variety so that they will climb up through them. Harvest the purple pods when they are ready – they are easy to distinguish from the foliage because of the colour contrast. If timing is right the second variety follows on from the first. Again the colour coding helps with identification if there are any of the first variety still there. As the first variety finishes cropping, direct sow a third crop in the same place – this time climbing French beans to climb up through the dying peas (luck required to get a good crop). Alternatives for the third crop are cucumbers, or achocha, or climbing types of Winter squash.
This might not work this year with such a late Spring, (I would normally have peas out in the ground by now) but it usually does okay in an average season.
I've been giving that method some pretty serious consideration! I'm hesitant because a lot of the varieties Ive got are very rare indeed, and I'd hate to get them mixed up. Fortunately I have stacks of poles, and a cheap source right there on site. I only have a very few seeds of a lot of varieties, so those can be grown through other crops - probably alliums - without doing any damage. I'm going to have wigwams scattered all over the plot.
How many do you plant of each variety and do you grow anything else.... :-\
One wigwam per variety. I grow plenty of other crops, but I'm squeezing the peas in as well. If I end up cutting down on anything, it'll probably be potatoes and toms, since I've lost them to blight three years on the trot.
Guessing you have some Latvian peas if not you are welcome to some.
Quote from: Ian Pearson on March 08, 2010, 19:01:37
Purple peas have their advantages. Try this technique to stretch production. (Requires rich soil, strong tall supports, and regular watering). Sow a purple podded variety in modules as early as possible, and plant out when ready. Once they are about 1 to 2 ft high direct sow a green podded type right alongside the first variety so that they will climb up through them. Harvest the purple pods when they are ready – they are easy to distinguish from the foliage because of the colour contrast. If timing is right the second variety follows on from the first. Again the colour coding helps with identification if there are any of the first variety still there. As the first variety finishes cropping, direct sow a third crop in the same place – this time climbing French beans to climb up through the dying peas (luck required to get a good crop). Alternatives for the third crop are cucumbers, or achocha, or climbing types of Winter squash.
I think I see how to make it work. Grow two varieties together with not only different-looking pods, but different looking seeds. There's a lot of variation, so if any peas ended up in the wrong batch they'd be obvious. I've got a lot of varieties I only have ten or a dozen of, so they wouldn't be crowded.
I was growing for eating, not saving, so it was not so critical.
They are strong inbreeders I think, so no problems with crossing?
There shouldn't be, since the anthers and stamens are all in a closed sac.