Peas aging too soon

[jojo54]

I have always planted Homesteader peas and have always had good crops. This year my peas are turning old too soon. They make pods but the pods get wrinkled and old looking before the peas fill out. I've never seen this happen before. The few pods that fill out don't have the fresh pea taste. They have that starting to get old taste already. Anyone have any idea why this might be happening?

 

[lesa]

Are you having very warm weather? Peas really are a cool weather crop...Mine did great, until about a week ago- when the rain stopped, and the heat wave began....

 

[Carol Dee]

I agree with lesa, as soon as it got hot and dry the peas started to decline. Even if it is not too hot they might be dry.

 

[jojo54]

We've actually had it cooler and wetter than the norm so I'm puzzled. I know peas get old fast in the heat but we only had a few scattered days that it was warm. But we've had big flucuations in temp (we have had 35C for a high and a few nights later it dropped to 6C) Could the temp changes be causing them to wrinkle empty pods?

 

[digitS']

JoJo, it was 35F (2C) just a couple of nights ago in Chewelah, just about 1 hour's drive in your direction.

I always expect powdery mildew as the pea season rolls to a close.

One year, the end of one trellis had something that I'd guess was downy mildew. I am really not familiar with downy mildew but it didn't get "downy" right away. Late, there was mold inside the pods but first it just seemed to turn the pea pods and leaves kind of transparent.

It wasn't in the least appetizing to look at, whatever it was. It was the only time I have seen this kind of problem. (This year, it was bug damage .) Anyway, if your garden has an unusual problem that is somehow weather-related -- this is the year to have it happen.

Steve