[composthappens]

My peas caught the pea moth  so as some of the pods are still good i decided to dry them out on a tray in the greenhouse to use the dried peas for next year to plant, is this the correct way of drying them out? and how long should i wait until i can pop open the pods and bag the pea seeds?

[JayG]

Pods for seed saving are usually left on the plant until they start to go dry and brown - if you pick them too early there's a chance they may not be fully developed, although you don't need to let them dry out completely on the plant.

At that stage I pick them, shell them, and then dry just the peas in a tray in a warm dry place.

[seaside]

If you're the sort that chits your peas before sowing, I wouldn't worry too much...those that don't germinate, get chucked.
I dry all my larger homebrew seeds for the beans, peas, sweet corn etc in one big tub in the front room, unless I am trying to keep separate different varieties. Chillies for drying for Winter use and possible seed often end up in there as well.The simpler the better.

[devonbarmygardener]

I have some fat mangetout pods clearly bursting with peas - do you think these would be ready for picking and drying out now?
I don't want them to rot in the rain and they really are chocka with seed peas.

[JayG]

As far as I know the seeds are fully developed when the pod starts to thin and dry, at which point the plant has stopped supplying it with resources. I don't know how far you can push your luck and still get viable seeds though (I do chit mine to hopefully get them off to a flying start although it's not really necessary as I get pretty much 100% germination of my saved sugarsnaps.)

[Willow_Warren]

I've only done this once (last year) but as was successful I'll explain my previse method:

Pea plants finished - forgot about them.

Decided it was finally time to remove them from the patch as they were brown and ugly.

Saw I had some pea pods left on the plants that I had missed.

Collected them up, shelled them.  Popped them in an evelope and forgot about them until about March.  No chitting, but got 100% germination in modules!

Who knew it wasn't rocket science!

Hannah

[devonbarmygardener]

Thanks for the advice Jay and Willow. 

[devonbarmygardener]

:My mangetout have a powdery mildew all over them.
Would it still be wise to save these seeds?

its more weather related than genetic i'd have thought??

[mumofstig]

:My mangetout have a powdery mildew all over them.
Would it still be wise to save these seeds?

I've just dried them in the shed in previous years and the seeds grew ok the next year.

I think the drying - specially in this kind of weather kills the mildew off, before you pod them.