Allotments 4 All

Having never grown earlies before, could anyone recommend some for me? Taste and reliability I guess are the factors.

Thanks.

I have a tall 6'+ pea Frau Heinrich (?) from HSL which does well from a Feb/March sowing even last year...  :)

I did very well with feb sown metor last year - a short but hardy pea. But early onward is a lovely and reliable early general pea to.
x Sunloving

I've been happy with Early Alaskan and last year with British Wonder. But earlies tend to be more 'petit pois' type small seeded peas. Its not till later on you get big'ns

I have pretty good success with Early Onward. they are nice and sweet.

Quote from: saddad on January 17, 2012, 08:04:38
I have a tall 6'+ pea Frau Heinrich (?) from HSL which does well from a Feb/March sowing even last year...  :)

Do you mean 'Frueher Heinrich' aka Early Henry?

Yes that's the one... knew "Frau" (Mrs) was wrong...  :-X

Feltham First.    The name says it all really.  Reliable year on year and never failed yet.

I agree that early onward are sweet and reliable.  I always grow them  :)

Thanks all, Feltham First seem to be the easiest to get hold of, but I guess whichever of your suggestions I find first will be the one.  :)

I have meteor under bottle cloches, they are about six inches tall now, even last year they survived the winter, so very tough cookies.  I hope to get a few peas in May.

The earliest of my varieties, Twinkle from T&M, I planted in the cold greenhouse today in one of the Gro-Bags from Marshalls. I set empty pots where I intend to plant the Tomatoes a bit later on in case the peas do well and are still there at the end of April. Twinkle are dwarf peas, so should be self supporting in the block.

Quote from: saddad on January 17, 2012, 11:56:27
Yes that's the one... knew "Frau" (Mrs) was wrong...  :-X

I don't find them quite that early, despite the name.  But i have some in toilet roll tubes in the conservatory, which haven't germinated yet.  I think a timely start is the best way to get early peas.  Sowing in April is too late (in my opinion), my bulk is sown indoors during February and transplanted during March.

Round seeded varieties are usually tougher than wrinkle seeded ones.  Jeyes from HSL is an early shelling pea, most of the mangetouts, and even earlier (if you can grow short peas, mine invariably get destroyed by mice/voles), round seeded Douce Provence.

The early start is the key though.  Also a good insurance against pea maggotts, which are almost never found in June, but can be a problem for July harvested peas.  I like my peas to crop before the beans take over, no need to have both in parallel and nothing to harvest during June. 

I've started Douce Provence in a gutter, container and poly soil where the latter have been much appreciated/ decimated by the slugs..[a thickish spread of organic slug pellets have also now disappeared, so i think I've got'em! ;)].
I shall sow greenshaft as soon as the DPs are in the garden hoping for a succession before it gets too dry. I agree April is a bit on the late side although I have sown  follow on rows as late as that.

I'm an 'Early Onward' fan too - always been a good reliable cropper for me and vey sweet.

Sheddie