Getting close to pea starting time. Last year I planted Oregon Sugar Snaps. They were so good raw that I will be planting again this year. Great on a raw mixed veggie tray for a party.
So lets talk Garden peas.

Those look awesome. I haven't bought mine yet, but I usually try a few different varieties

Love Oregon Sugar snaps. I grew them up along-side my rabbit fencing (instant trellis). I was actually efficient enough to get a second crop planted in for a fall harvest.
My husband likes shelling peas, so will be trying those this year as well. Does anyone have any favorite varieties? I think so far, I've purchase an OP variety called "Progress". I'd welcome any other recommendations for favorite varieties.

We'll be planting Alaska, Wando, and Tom Thumb peas this year. Need to get them started PDQ!

I started dwarf gray snow peas, and Little Wonder and Progress shelling peas. It always feels so good to do the first planting outdoors

Well, we ended up only planting Wando this past Wednesday. It's supposed to freeze this weekend. UGH!!

One that I tried last year ,but which I sowed too late and it is a cold hardy variety was:
Schweitzer-Reisen---it has mauve flowers. It did not do well last year because I
sowed it in June. The warm weather did it in and it only gave a few flowers.

Our Lincoln Homesteads are about 2 inches high. They love this cool rainy weather.
They are supposed to be resistant to pea enation if we ever get any hot weather to give it to them. I love snap peas but DH likes the English varieties better. I still put them in salads and they are yummy. I blanch them and cool them in an ice water bath. Then roll them in a small sandwich bag (not zip) and stick them into another freezer bag with a zip. I keep piling them in there until the outside bag is full of little frozen pea bags. They are great in winter added to salads with just a little thawing.

My Oregon Sugar Pod II snow peas have been bearing for a few weeks, after a VERY slow start.

I've started to let some pods grow big and bulgey, so there's more pea in the pod. I swear they get sweeter that way, and the pods are not yet tough.

But it's a struggle to wait, when I only get 1 handfull of pods per day from the 6 or so square foot patch that started bearing. I have a second patch, more like 4 square feet, that is coming along after the first patch.

Corey

I'm growing Oregon Sugar Pods and Little Marvel (I think that's then name). They are all bearing now. OSP didn't germinate as well as the others. I've got a persistant gopher who only likes the roots. I think he is trap wise, he fills the trap with dirt, I move it to a different tunnel, he fills it again.

A couple of years ago I tried starting pea seed in July, using a strip of ground that had been mulched with grass clippings. The soil was cool and I had good germination. I got a few peas off it before the weather got too cold. It's probably too late to do it this year.

I guess on the dry side, you don't need to worry as much about pea seed rotting in the ground.

I was surprised by my Snow Peas hibernatign througb cool weather, then perking up when they got some near-warmth and sun.

I thought peas, and especially snow peas, were supposed to like cold!

Maybe it was the cold wet under-fertilized clay, or heavy cloudiness.

Corey

Rick, I've lived and gardened on the wet side of both Washington and Oregon. Gardening over here on the dry side is a different kind of challenge. Weather, soil, pests, soil temperature, everything. Try pre-sprouting the pea seed in a tray, then carefully planting them after they are awake. Same with beans and corn that definitely like warmer soil. Do you use raised beds? They'd be warmer and you can control the type of soil.

>> Try pre-sprouting the pea seed in a tray,

Peas indoors? That's a new idea to me!

>> Do you use raised beds? They'd be warmer and you can control the type of soil.

Yes, exclusively, and I agree. But I've been expanding my beds faster than I buy compost, so the soil is still heavy.

I had thought of putting plastic film over my RBs, covering the walls also so their "feet" warmed up earlier. But mainly, to keep the constant rain out of the bed!

My Snow Peas finally warmed up and now they are yielding nicely for their size. Those bushy vines are going to triple the size of my next compost heap!

Is there any such thing as "pole" snow peas?

Corey

Pole snow peas, not that I know of. Territorial Seed Company doesn't list any, but they do have 3 varieties of bush types, 30 to 36 inches tall. Next year I'm going to put up a little fence for mine because the wind blows them over into the next row. I plant double rows, 12 inches apart so the vines shade the roots when the sun gets hot. It's like picking in a jungle!

PVC pipe covered with plastic would be a good thing where it rains so much. Not only would it help keep the constant rain out of your beds, the nutrients wouldn't be constantly washing away. And yes, the soil in your beds would be warmer. I picture driving rebar into the ground a few feet from the sides of your raised beds so you can walk next to them to tend your plants when pipe and plastic are added.

I have to smile every time I look at that avitar with the 4 little frogs.

Thanks! I doubt that I'll make a tunnel tall enough to walk under. I may have to flip it off during the day, so I'm going to try to make it light but not flimsy.

I've heard of using electircal conduit bent into hoops instead of PVC. I'm not sure PVC can be bent into shapes they will hold, though I've heard that they can be softened with heat.

Corey

I think conduit would be better if you want to flip it. PVC would probably bo BOING as soon as you took it off the rebar. I can just picture that!

>> PVC would probably bo BOING

Good point. I wouldn't even try PVC under tension for just that reason. I have flung to many scarce seeds over my living room rug whent he platic measuring spoon did it's little SPROING catapult thing.

If I could bend the PVC permanently, I might.

Now I have tiny stainless steel measuring spoons, "Danesco".

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb...

Corey

What open pollinated peas to try this year in my area? Shell peas that freeze well and as sweet as a glass of iced tea?

I grew Droughtproof Wando last year, and really enjoyed it. I think this was the first pod I harvested: http://cubits.org/pics/2011-05...

Can't tell you how they freeze, though, I never had enough left over to put up

Hotbot did you save any for seed? Where Did you get them?