[swaine]

Sugar snap peas have to be one of the best crops to grow, even on a small plot.

Sugar Anne is the one I grow. ....You've got to grow enough though to make sure some make it to the plate. As people have said, they taste superb straight from the vine.

The knack is to pick them at the right time. You have to leave them long enough to bulk up, but not too long so the pods get too hard. Get that right and they are superb, either eaten there and then, or with a salad.

It's Summer, the sun is shining, you arrive at the allotment. The Sugar Anne peas are ready. The Alice strawberries are ready. One of those two has to be the best taste on the allotment, but which one? It's fun trying to decide.

[mumofstig]

Sugar Ann is the one I grow as well..superb 

[MaisieCat]

Hi there,

I'm back on here after a long break and am after a bit of advice please.

I have started off some tall growing heritage peas (Duke of Albany) in a tray in the greenhouse and they are now about 6" tall.  Now I'm not quite sure what to do next. 

My original plan, as there were only 10 seeds (9 came up), was to grow them up a wigwam of bamboo canes, a couple to each cane and tie them in up the canes.  Do you think that will work, or will I need to get some kind of netting (that'll be a bit hard to fix to a wigwam won't it!)?

Also, do you pinch out the tops like you do with sweet peas, or do you just let them do their own thing?

Sorry if these are silly questions, but I've never had much luck with peas before due to pigeons and mice at the allotment and thought the tall ones might be easier for me (and harder for pigeons to reach once they are big enough). 

Thanks in advance!

[DD.]

Harden them off, then get them out.

Rather than wigwam the canes you could put them vertically and you'll find it easier to fix netting, or alternatively run twine horizontally every few inches for them to cling onto.

Don't pinch them out!

[potatogrower]

you can't beat fresh peas. provided they are picked early you might end up eating more than you picked   . yield is very good. size and taste is better. growing Jaguar pea's, they say each end will produce 2 pods in stead of one so double the yield. lets see if they're true to their word.... and its the joy of growing even if it costs more than frozen.

[mattwragg94]

i agree with DD, i always do them in rows, as i believe wigwams waste space (shame there where only 10 pea seeds).

[tonel]

We've only had our allotment a year so far but one of our successes last year was a row of Kelvedon Wonder that did really well, lots of very nice peas considering we only had one 10 foot row. Other than spuds I'd say peas are my fave veg. Have sown a couple of rows of Onward recently, hoping they will do well this year, and still have some KW left from last year. If I had my way I'd grow tons more but my wife doesn't seem as keen. Give Peas a chance

[MaisieCat]

Thanks DD and mattwragg.

I was choosing a wigwam because I have a convenient square spot to squeeze them into at the end of a short row of 'normal' peas sown the other week.  I think upright canes in a circle with twine spiralled round for them to cling to might be my way forward.

I've already started hardening them off.   Well they have been out of the green house jumbo propogator and onto the normal shelf for a couple of days now.  Next step will be the mini greenhouse by the back door that I use as a cold frame, then out into the wild world it will be!

Thanks for telling me not to pinch out DD.  I was getting tempted as they look a bit straggly. Presumably they branch out a bit by themselves later on - or is one stem it?

[DD.]

They tend to be single stemmed, which is why you sow them closely together, (about 12 in a foot row).

Having said that, I have a single "pet" heritage pea (Kent Blue) growing alone and can observe it better. Whilst it's not branched out, it has thrown up another shoot from ground level.

[MaisieCat]

  DD.  Re the "pet" pea.  That's the sort of thing I'd do.  I did have a single heritage pea the other year because only one of 10 germinated and I carefully kept it to save the peas for seed, then packed them away in a "safe" place never to be seen again  !

[DD.]

I do that, I got down the plot this afternoon and couldn't find my "Gladstone"!

[stewpotty]

I tried peas my first year, last year and it was so much trouble keeping them protected from the local pigeons I have decided to just grow a few small ones. I guess I need to get the other stuff figured out but compared to broccoli an parsnips (my favourites) which needed minimal looking after the peas were tricky.....maybe when I am a better gardener I will have another go.....

[AnneB]

They tend to be single stemmed, which is why you sow them closely together, (about 12 in a foot row).

Having said that, I have a single "pet" heritage pea (Kent Blue) growing alone and can observe it better. Whilst it's not branched out, it has thrown up another shoot from ground level.

Have I been wasting half the space in my plot?  I have been planting 2 inches apart, following the suggestion in the Joy Larkcom book (Grow your own vegetables).  This has worked quite well for me and I seemed to get good crops and there weren't lots of gaps.  Would you grow at 1" spacings for earlier or dwarf varieties?  Or can I get double the crop from the same space?  If so, I better go and sow some more.  I am growing Champion of England this year.

[mattwragg94]

i plant them around 2inches apart - have you seen DD's pea sowing template?

[DD.]

If you give me chance!

Try this: