Two years ago I direct seeded a group of bunching onions (scallions) to late for them to be big enough to harvest in the fall, so I just left them. I was really shocked to see that about half of them survived the winter and grew into sizable onions the following spring. I had no idea they would survive a WI winter.

I left mine out last fall also. I thought you were supposed to and that they would grow like perennials each year. Course if you pull them up how are they to come back each year?

I guess I will see. I planted garlic for the first time and that will also be a 'we'll see'. The most I can hope for is to push back the spring start a little and push forward the summer into winter using hoops, survival coverings, and heat bulbs. I have to wonder if it is worth the effort. My little aerogardens are pumping out romaine and red salad bowl lettuce like mad. Might be hard to grow a broc or cabbage that way.

@farmerdill glad so many things survived! They look great. I have a question though, anout the peas. When did you plant them? Should I be planting peas now? I never did find Willet Wonders so maybe it depends on variety? I really would like some peas and when I plant them late march/early April It seems it gets hot before I can harvest.

Mary Stella, I think you will be quite pleasantly surprised by the garlic (maybe depending on what type you planted). Every year I am amazed at how it is poking up out of the ground when the snow is gone... it is truly a wonderful crop for us northerners!! (especially since it tastes so good -- and repels vampires at the same time )

I plant English peas around Thanksgiving. Smooth seeded peas do best for overwintering. I prefer Willet Wonder, But Alaska does well, just a more unruly vine. Wrinkle seeded peas I start planting in late February. Green Arrow, Survivor, Strike, Bolero and the like.

@farmerdill Thank you! I will plant some in Feb. I really am still confused about the difference in peas though. We love them all. I thought English peas were the "eating" peas, where you eat the seeds and snow/sugar peas were ones that you eat the entire pod. So are Green Arrow, Survivor, etc. NOT English peas? I am so confused!

I will try planting some snow/sugar peas in February as well. I just seem to have such poor germination. Last year I presprouted and that seemed to help. Maybe my seeds are old?

@abhege - Do you pre-soak your peas before planting? It makes a huge difference. My first year I did not and had very poor germination. Second year I decided I would pre-soak in warm water - 4 hrs, then I planted them in little cups (3oz plastic bathroom cups) 2 per cup. I went overboard assuming I would again get poor germination, after all they were a year old at this point. I ended up with almost 300 pea plants. I know most people say don't bother pre-starting peas and beans, but I always do. I plant them out when they are very young, but at 1 1/2" tall and 1 or 2 per little cup, they don't need to be divided, just pop them out and into the soil, and they are big enough that the birds mostly leave them alone and I don't have any empty spaces in the row form the ones that don't germinate.

Good idea, Geof. Your success speaks for itself!

English peas are my generations name for what a lot folks are calling shelling peas today. The smooth seeded peas are more hardy, but not as sweet and tender as wrinkled seeded varieties. Smooth seeded green peas are getiing relatively rare , the only commonly available varieties being Alaska and Willet Wonder, There are also yellow smooth seeded peas normally used for soup.

I direct seed as I plant about three lbs. Rarely have germination problems. With the wrinkled seeded varieties I satrt planting as soon as the gorund can be worked, which usaully means sometime in late February when we get a dry spell. Second planting in mid March. Start harvest in late April and finish in early June.

I have grown snow peas, but they are more trouble than they are worth for me. The edible podded (snap peas) Ihave grown but never developed a taste for them.

@farmerdill - I have had the opposite experience - though we are in completely different areas of the country, and you are a much more experienced grower than I am. Shelling peas are not worth my time, you need a huge harvest, and lots of time spent shelling to get a meal. For me sugar snaps, and snow peas are the way to go, not only can I just munch them off the vine while I am out there, Even if I only harvest 20-30, that is enough to bother cooking, or throwing in a salad. They also easily mix with other veg in stir-fries and pastas. Sugar snaps are probably my favorite veg from the garden.

Geof, I have be soaking my peas. Last year I had better luck.

Farmerdill, thank you for that explanation. I want to try the Willet Wonders and I found two web sites that sell them so I'll get some and plant them this fall as well as save some seeds from what grows.

I checked my seeds planted in vermiculite last Sunday and there is one artichoke, several rhubarb and all five greenhouse cucumbers germinated! Hopefully i will get a couple more artichokes.

I like snow peas in stir frys. Major problem is that their harvest window is so short. I don't eat raw peas, so snap peas just are neither fish or fowl for me. On the other hand I keep a freezer full of shelled English peas.

We love the English peas but they are a lot of work. I don't mind for us but certainly not worth trying to sell at market. The snow peas are easier for us to pick and sell, but even then we never have a lot.

I have to agree with Geof about the peas; too much space and work devoted to getting the "English peas," so if I grow peas at all it's snow peas; I'm not crazy about the sugar snaps, I have to admit.

And Geof, I also have much better success with starting beans and then transplanting out to the garden -- I'm not sure what exactly happens to mine when I direct sow, but they start sprouting and then ?? not sure if they just die or something chomps them off or what.

My favorite peas to grow are Supar Snap types. I just love to go out in the garden and pick and eat the pods right there. I never seem to have enough. Rarely do they get picked to bring inside.

I do love to eat peas of all types. Love English peas, I guess they are called Shelling peas. But I usually just buy them frozen. Less work that way.

I usually just buy them frozen. Less work that way.

Me too, Sandy. I don't have the room.

My husband wants the Super Sugar Snap. He also just eats them out in the garden. I grow another kind to put into Split Pea and ham hock soup. Can usually manage about two batches each summer. Other than that I cannot abide peas, canned or frozen.

My grandson has already made it clear he doesn't like them either! (18 mo).

I am planting a few tomatoes today. Our garden club asked me to plant some to sell. I have been looking at last years notes and I planted my peppers 1/31/14 so I still have time to do the. Unless I move the brassicas to the GH I will run out of room very soon!