[stompy]

Hi all,

My partner loves Mange tout, so i've bought some seeds.
Is there a difference between normal peas and mange tout peas, or are mange tout just young pea pods with under developed peas inside?

The reason im asking is is because, if like normal peas you tend to harvest a few here and there and then freeze the main harvest or do Mange Tout crop over a longer period of time.

If it is the case that you have to freeze them then how will it work with mange tout as im not sure how well they'll freeze, and im wondering if i should have bought the cheaper normal pod peas and harvested them earlier.

[8doubles]

Mange tout will keep cropping if you pick the young pods. Do not expect a glut of frozen peas at the end , other varieties are better for that purpose.
You will eat most of the pods or peas before you get to your house.

[DD.]

Mangetout have less tough starchy & stringy pods.

I find best grown in short rows of consecutive sowings as they go a bit soggy when frozen.

[stompy]

I was waiting for you to reply D.D, right so they are a different strain then.
Thats great, at least i know i bought the right thing.

So do they crop more like French and runner beans then, the more you pick the more they crop?

[DD.]

Pick them young, they'll keep going longer.

As you know I gorw my peas in large quantities - several 32' ft rows at a time. However when it come to mangetout, it's about 3' a time, every two or three weeks. Good for sticking in those odd spaces.

[bigben]

If you leave them too long they will produce peas that you can eat so unlike regular peas, leaving them too long is not the end of the world.

[DD.]

Leave them even longer & you'e got next year's seed free.

[stompy]

Right so it's a little and often when sowing then
I tend not to bother saving seed, they're not exactly expensive at £1:98 for 200 seeds, and i like buying new seeds every year.
Certain seeds i do keep from year to year like Corgettes, butternut squash chillie, pepper  and tomatoe seeds.
I tend to replace the rest.

[DD.]

I call £1.98 for 200 very expensive, my local nursery sells them loose at £4.99 a kilo and you'd get 3,000 to 6,000 seed. 200 would cost you about 13p tops. 

As we all know you have to be very careful saving the seed from cucurbits - or do you want be to post that piccie again!

[mumofstig]

Nooooooooo!   anything but that


oh............ ok then if you must 

[WhiteWolf]

I call £1.98 for 200 very expensive, my local nursery sells them loose at £4.99 a kilo and you'd get 3,000 to 6,000 seed. 200 would cost you about 13p tops. 

As we all know you have to be very careful saving the seed from cucurbits - or do you want be to post that piccie again!

What piccie? What Piccie?

WW 

[Nige2Plots]

I call £1.98 for 200 very expensive, my local nursery sells them loose at £4.99 a kilo and you'd get 3,000 to 6,000 seed. 200 would cost you about 13p tops. 

As we all know you have to be very careful saving the seed from cucurbits - or do you want be to post that piccie again!

That is a good price, but who on earth counts the number of seeds they have bought

[mumofstig]

I wonder, could it be the same people who count their toilet roll inners  

[Hey Jude]

 

[stompy]

I don't save Cucurbit seeds from the plant, i meant the ones left in the packet.
Also, it says on the back of the packet how many seeds are (aproximately) in there.
And i got my seeds from Wilkinsons, thats where i get most of them from, they seem to give good results at a fair price.