Ducks ALIVE in 2025!

[ducks4you]

Dunno about YOU, but I have tried doing garden cleanup in the Fall--IMPOSSIBLE!
Right after my Salsa Party we run until New Year's.
Then, I have tried doing garden cleanup in May, but by then we should have planted and nutured our garden.
I am focusing on cleaning up NOW, taking advantage of really nice March weather.
Hence, fill the tow wagon, burn the next day, repeat.
I have 2 sample packets of Alaska pea plants, totaling 10 peas. I have a great place to plant them tomorrow, along the big garden north fencing. It is limited this year bc I planted German red garlic in 1/2 of the walkway, so there is only about 6 ft of fencing to use.
Although I was hoping to get them planted today, I was too worn out, so I will have to dodge the rain drops tomorrow, instead.
Since I've never grown them, I hope to save the seeds and have a couple of harvests from them.

 

[ducks4you]

Just planted a sample packet of Alaska peas. Thought that there were 11, but I dropped some, some I physically planted 9, under a 9 ft fence line and interspersed in between and south of them with 25 Bloomsdale Spinach and about 40 French Marigolds.
Stormed furiously last night--we were under a tornado watch --expecting heavy rain in the next few hours.
SO Proud of myself actually getting seeds in the ground!!

Porcelain garlic is up!

 

[heirloomgal]

Just planted a sample packet of Alaska peas. Thought that there were 11, but I dropped some, some I physically planted 9, under a 9 ft fence line and interspersed in between and south of them with 25 Bloomsdale Spinach and about 40 French Marigolds.
Stormed furiously last night--we were under a tornado watch --expecting heavy rain in the next few hours.
SO Proud of myself actually getting seeds in the ground!!
View attachment 73234Porcelain garlic is up!

Awesome! Not easy to do gardening stuff when your body is giving you trouble. Keep your eyes on your peas, Alaska peas are very unforgiving when it comes to late picking. They turn to starch soooo quick, harvest asap once pods form. (Ask me how I know! lol) They are tasty, just catch them in time.

 

[ducks4you]

Since I have never grown peas that you harvest as just...peas, how much do they produce? I figured that if I get too busy in May, I will just let them go to dry out and harvest the peas as seeds.
DH says he will eat these. He hates frozen and canned peas.

 

[Dahlia]

Since I have never grown peas that you harvest as just...peas, how much do they produce? I figured that if I get too busy in May, I will just let them go to dry out and harvest the peas as seeds.
DH says he will eat these. He hates frozen and canned peas.

Same - I only like garden peas! When I was a kid my parents let me and my brother pick one food we didn't have to eat. I picked peas because my mom always served us the frozen ones. She had a beautiful garden, but never grew peas. I always grow peas in my garden because there is nothing quite like snacking on fresh peas and tomatoes in ones garden!

 

[heirloomgal]

Since I have never grown peas that you harvest as just...peas, how much do they produce? I figured that if I get too busy in May, I will just let them go to dry out and harvest the peas as seeds.
DH says he will eat these. He hates frozen and canned peas.

They are pretty good yielders. It's actually funny, Alaska seems to be one of those few peas that are truly dual purpose - they can be eaten when small and fresh from the pod but they also make good dried peas because they aren't wrinkled. Starchy peas tend to be smooth, and that is also why they can be planted so early. They don't hold moisture in their folds causing them to perish. You can tell the sweetness of a pea variety often by what the seeds look like, not in every single case, but generally. Here is what I found -

Learn more

The Alaska pea, also known as "earliest of all", is a classic shelling pea variety that excels as a dry pea, especially for soups, and is known for its early maturity and heavy yields.

Here's a more detailed look at Alaska peas as a dry pea:

• Heirloom Variety:
  Alaska peas are an heirloom variety, dating back to the 1880s.
  
  
• Early Maturity:
  They are known for their early maturity, with a maturity time of around 56 days.
  
  
• Heavy Yields:
  Alaska peas are known for their heavy yields of round, straight, pale green pods, each containing 5-8 smooth peas.
  
  
• Versatile Use:
  They are versatile, suitable for fresh eating, freezing, canning, and drying for soup.
  
  
• Soup Peas:
  When dried, Alaska peas make excellent soup peas, either cooked whole or split.
  
  
• Cool Soil Preference:
  They thrive in cool soil, making them a good choice for northern regions and spring or fall planting.
  
  
• Planting:
  Sow seeds directly into the garden in early spring as soon as the soil is workable.

 

[ducks4you]

“Don’t measure the size of the mountain; talk to the One who can move it.” -Max Lucado

 

[ducks4you]

Here are pea pictures from yesterday. No thinning required--I planted them all about 12-14 inches from each other and very close to underneath the chicken wire fencing for climbing. I covered them all up after I took pictures, just wanted to see them for reference.

 

[ducks4you]

More growth on my basement potatoes, too.

 

[ducks4you]

Sapphire Beauty Dutch Iris blooming. Forgot I planted this. Dandelions aren't even up yet.