Peas, Please

[so lucky]

When I placed a seed order from Johnny's, they had Sugar Ann peas on sale, so I bought a package. I have only been successful with sugar peas a couple of times, years ago. Does any one have any advice, other than get them out early? Are they heavy feeders? These are supposed to not need staking. @digit'S, I think I remember that you grow peas. Words of wisdom?

 

[thistlebloom]

I like the super sugar snaps. They are vines and need a trellis of some sort, but have been easy peasy (sorry!) for me. We have a very long spring here though, and cool nights all summer, so my experience won't transfer to your climate.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Johnny's has a big sale on right now for them, doesn't he.

I can't help you, I'm growing snap peas for my first time ever this year so I'll watch this thread. I can't remember the variety I got and I'm not going out in this wind to where I have them to check, but mine said they needed to be staked. On Johnny's site they said you could do those either way, either stake them or not.

 

[so lucky]

I will probably give them some support, anyway. It won't hurt them.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

I can't necessarily give any advice. I'm lucky enough to have the growing conditions that I do - most of what I plant, grows, that includes peas. The only problems that I really have with peas are stinkbugs and and aphids/aphid-induced disease. Whether or not they need stake depends on variety - for many of the older varieties I'd recommend stakes as many of those can grow up to 6ft+ when well-grown. Many of the commercial, more-refined, modern types can go without stakes.

I can provide you with a possibility to develop your own locally-adapted variety, if you are willing to do the work. I've got a ton of crossed-up pea seed. There are shellies, snap, snow, and many in-betweener peas in there. Colors can range from gold, green, blue/purple, red and even blushes and solid colors with speckles (multi-colored). The seedlings have a lot of hybrid vigor (they aren't hybrids themselves though, just crosses). All that you would need to do is separate the different types and select for desired characteristics. Let me know if you are interested. Peas generally don't take up a lot of room, so even if you are restricted when it comes to space, you can easily breed your own pea varieties. I do have pictures of these peas somewhere on my computer.

 

[digitS']

So Lucky, I'm not sure if I've ever grown a pea variety that I thought was okay without support. That includes Sugar Ann.

I have a favorable memory of her one-time visit to my garden. DW thought she would save me all the trellis-building I have done every year. She bought a number of different dwarf varieties. Seemed like it was really just a choice of building short trellises or tall.

My peas aren't left very long in the garden. Decide early what you will replace them with. I like bush beans going in as soon as I can get the peas out . It's great to have 2 nice crops one after the other like that.

Powdery mildew will take the peas out if'n I don't. I can only remember downy mildew once but, obviously, they are prone to these problems.

Steve

 

[897tgigvib]

Yea, even short peas do better with some support.

Really, planting them early is the main key to good peas. Just maybe cover the planted seeds with something so they get some day time warmth that holds to the night some, Plastic is good.
Once up, night time light frosts don't hurt them.

No real serious fertilizing should be needed. Just good composty soil naturally fertile, nd they'll love it.

Grow peas like you're growing a salad. They like good to excellent drainge, and they also like that composty soil almost always moist. They like cool sunshiney weather.

 

[so lucky]

Good advice. Thanks. How about covering the intended row with black plastic for a week before planting--then after planting for a few days? (Assuming the weather is sunny during that time)
SeedO, thanks for the offer, but I don't think I am that interested in peas, to do a concerted effort like that. I can barely remember to brush my teeth in the morning. Hybridizing peas is beyond my...comprehension.

 

[ninnymary]

Well I can't seem to be able to grow peas! I would think I have ideal weather for them but nope. Last fall I planted a long row against my tomatoe trellis. I think snails got most of them. A couple seem to be starting to grow now but of course mid-March I have to pull them because my tomatoes go in. I have a small bed where I grow lettue where I put in a trellis for peas that didn't grow. I might get me a couple of six-packs of sweet peas and try those.

Mary

 

[so lucky]

A gal in my yoga class said she is planting her sugar snap peas this week. Anyone else in the Midwest planting them in February? It is supposed to be near 60 this weekend. Mebbe I'll get out there and scratch some in.