Peas with no flavor

amk3000

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Hi.
I planted a row of Oregon Giant snow peas in a raised bed this year and last. Last year I went the organic route, and the peas seemed low in flavor. I thought perhaps they were lacking some nutrient, so I "sold out" and tried using Miracle Gro (the one for tomatoes, since it seems to have more K than the regular version) but yesterday, when I harvested my first peas, I was hugely disappointed. Even after selling out, I was still stuck with peas that barely had flavor. Could anyone suggest what might be happening?
Thanks. I joined the site just to ask this question.
 

patandchickens

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is this a variety that you have grown previously with good flavor? If not, it is possible you just don't LIKE this variety :p or might be picking it too soon or too late.

Dunno, good luck,

Pat, whose first sowing of peas is just starting to come up.
 

Hattie the Hen

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Hi there!:frow

Was last year the first time you grew the peas in a raised bed?. Where did you get the soil for your raised bed? Is the soil from your own garden or have you bought it in specially to fill the raised beds?

I grow most of my veg in beds & when I first started doing it , about 5 years ago I bought in some soil to fill a couple of them (the others were filled with my garden soil. My own soil produced really tasty veg but the other two never matched up. I even tried exactly the same salad crops.

I don't know if this is true in respect of your peas I'm just telling you about my experience! :D

You must have been so disappointed, especially after watching them grow. I'm watching mine at the moment -- they are flowering like mad :lol:
:welcome


:rose Hattie :rose
 

amk3000

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Hattie,
Hi, yes, it's frustrating, the vines are beautiful as are the blooms. The beds were filled with bags of organic garden soil, marketed here as Organic Choice. It's mostly pine compost and pasteurized poultry litter. My native soil is a heavy clay, beloved by the dandelions, thistles and occasional blade of grass that populate my front lawn.
 

DrakeMaiden

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I know that with tomatoes if you water too much, the tomato flavor gets watered down. Is this true of peas too? I dumped a bunch of coffee grounds on my peas when they were little to keep the slugs away, but it was also a good fertilizer for them. They are doing well, but I won't get any peas for a while. I hope you can figure this problem out. I agree, you might want to try a different variety next year too!
 

Hattie the Hen

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Hi amk :D

If you previously (i.e. before last year) your peas in your clay soil I think that might be the answer to the taste difference. That is what I found. I'm afraid hard work is the answer! Get rid of the weeds in your own soil or keep them down with mulch & fill one of the raised beds with it & I think you will notice the difference in taste.

You could also try buying your seed from a specialist heirloom seed company -- I have done this & the difference is remarkable.

Hope this helps. :D

:rose Hattie :rose
 

Rosalind

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I've noticed flavor loss from three things:
1. Too much rain--if consistent, try digging drainage ditches. This could be a problem sitting on top of clay. I do notice that herbs also taste more intense if you let 'em wilt once every few weeks before watering.
2. Not a good variety for taste (in which case, select heirloom varieties), was bred for shipping or something.
3. Growth medium lacks minerals and trace elements needed to develop flavor. I notice vine-ripe hydroponic tomatoes, whatever kind they are, never come out as good as the kind growing in the ground. Technically the hydroponic ones have received a perfect NPK balance and all that, but I think they need other stuff too, some trace elements and a little bit of variable weather conditions to develop secondary metabolites that give them flavor.

It's the same with grapes, you get the best wine from grapevines that grow in crummy soil with little rain while they're fruiting. A little stress makes them better. Agree w/ Hattie, try using your regular dirt next time.
 

herbsherbsflowers

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I have not been happy with the organic choice soil. I have used the potting soil in my pots this year and my plants look awful. I have started supplementing with terracycle worm poop but that does not seem to be helping much. I got some of the regular organic choice garden soil to put on my hay bales. I'm going to do that this weekend. I think I may get something else to mix in with it, like compost and cow manure.

I thought snow peas were the kind that you eat the pod, not the actual peas. I always buy English Pea seed to use for the ones I shell and eat.
 

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