[OakR]

Hello

I've got some heritage varieties (10 each) of Epicure, Latvian Christmas Grey, Gladstone and Kent Blue. When researching the Kent Blue one I noticed this thread: https://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=88061.0. In that thread, DD plants just one seed and gets over 1,000 peas from that one plant, which made me wonder if planting peas less densely might get as many peas.

More specifically, I have sown 4 each of these heritage types into root trainers, and then another 4 in a month or so. Would you plant these with lots of space in between, or close together like normal for peas? My main objective is to save as many peas as possible for next year, and eat a few if we get a glut!

Anyway, just wondering if anyone has tried planting peas in a less crowded way.

Here is a photo below of the different peas which look quite different, which I found quite interesting. From top to bottom, Alderman, Kent Blue, Epicure, Gladstone, Latvian Christmas Grey, Spanish unknown variety.

[Nobbie]

I suspect traditional pea spacing is designed to get maximum yield from a given space since the seed is cheap. If you want maximum yield from each plant then bigger spacing would be the way to go. I would think at least 6” would be worth trying for such a small number of seeds.

[OakR]

I suspect traditional pea spacing is designed to get maximum yield from a given space since the seed is cheap. If you want maximum yield from each plant then bigger spacing would be the way to go. I would think at least 6” would be worth trying for such a small number of seeds.

Thanks - I'll experiment with the longer distance and see how it goes!

[AndyRVTR]

I sow mine just over an inch apart.. its what the packet said!

[Subversive_plot]

Mine are closer to 5 inches apart.

[hasbeans]

I do 3 fingers for dwarf and a full hand for tall, in blocks rather than rows due to space limitations.

[jambop]

Three seeds in a two inch pot then plant out 6 inches apart when they are through.