Growing Peas

[Muscroj]

ah but if you don't shell them then you can't do the whole 'one for the bowl....one for my mouth....one for the bowl....2 more for me..."

[Peggy Sue]

I did every mistake possible last year with peas- in guttering at home that got waterlogged and rotted them, too far apart, then in a bed full of rampent chick weed that swamped them, too close to the compost heap which had a family of hungry mice and finally too late to get a harvest.

So this year I got serious. Really well prepared ground, really close together (almost touching), far from the compost heap, and plenty to make sure you get a meal not a snack at a time- wow they have excelled! Can't eat them fast enough Never thought that possible. They have grown so rampently they have pulled down my rather makeshift support made from bailer twine, and being so healthy they are now way too close to the runner who are dwarfed- so next year....more space to the side of my little colony and better support!

I didn't soak but I do buy from Realseed who have very good germination rates. I shall seed save this year from them so they will be free next year!

[Muscroj]

hoorah, the ones that I 'sprouted' on my windowsill on damp paper & then chucked into the ground by the handful are now starting to poke their heads above the soil the 5 established plants are now flowering & I may get a pod or 2 off them in a few days, not enough for a meal, but enough to satisfy my need to munch on fresh uncooked peas straight from the pod!

But fingers crossed I may get enough for a meal by the end of the season

[Peggy Sue]

I managed a few raw pods on differerent occasions last year, so realising how many peas you need to plant to get a MEAL I've gone MAD this year and planted loads

Now I make the mistake- they only take 5 mins to cook.....but ofcourse they take 10 mins to pod so I'm late again!! (much easier raw somehow)

[pumpy]

I've always chucked seeds in the ground 2" deep & a bit of a gap between rows, rigged up a climbing frame with string/supports & let 'em get on with it..... always works well. I read somewhere that if you sew peas in "blocks" then they are self-supporting, so i had a patch of ground about 1m sq & slung some seeds in...... i'll let you know if it works.

[Peggy Sue]

Pumpy I think the dwarf varieties are self supporting but the real climbers may get a bit rapent in a block! Good luck harvesting