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Hi Theresa,
Thanks again for another informative post. What variety of pea did you plant? Do you recommend a second planting for Fall harvest and if so, when would you plant them?
Sue
Just now finishing up the sugar snap pea harvest here in No. Nevada. Germination was poor, but seeds continued to sprout throughout Spring time. Quail got into some seedlings, but they came back :-). Used grapevine cuttings for a trellis. I would have a bigger harvest if I would not eat so many when I am picking them. I planted zucchini in between the pea plants and as I remove the old vines the squash is doing well.
I had problems with my germination of peas this year too Theresa and the folks at the farmer’s market told me the same thing.
Odd spring weather wise is what I put it down to. Going to plant a lot for fall.
When do you put in peas for fall harvest?
Carol
Susan, I’ve grown Green Arrow peas for a lot of years and really like them. (See this post.)
I usually settle for what I harvest from my spring planting. As you know I have no watering set up (just a sprinkling can) — and in this area we are usually in drought conditions when it’s time to plant. Time to plant is approximately 2 1/2 to 3 months before the first frost is expected.
This year has been so good with “rain in due season” and I am seriously considering a row or two for a fall harvest IF I have the room. Ideally, I’d love to plant about the 3rd week of July but probably won’t. I figure if I could plant the first of August and get good germination — I could harvest in mid to late October. There’s always a chance of frost — but I might risk it.
Again — how peas perform will depend on the weather conditions — spring or fall.
If it’s too hot in August when I plant — they won’t do well.
My strategy will be to try to plant in a spot that does not get hot afternoon sun.
Nice to hear from you Sue.
Theresa
Hi Alice,
Interesting that you had poor germination too. As with you — my peas continued to sprout throughout the spring.
Good strategy to get other crops started as the peas are finishing up.
If it works for you — leave the roots of the peas in the ground. It’ll be beneficial to the soil and help your new crop as well.
Thanks for the update Alice. 🙂
Theresa
Hi Carol,
So many folks have told me they had a problem with peas germinating.
The weather in my area was “perfect” for peas — so I don’t attribute the poor germination to that.
I think it may well be something we don’t know about — like what happened at the source for the seed.
I don’t know how many growers it takes to supply seed for all those who supply the seed to us — but my guess is that most of the seed comes from the same source. If there were a problem at that source — more than likely — you and I would never know and it would show up in some way like poor germination.
If I have room – I’ll plant a row or two for fall. I’ve ordered several different varieties (rather than just my favorite Green Arrow) so as not to put all my eggs in one basket. I’ll try a little of each to see if germination is good, etc. That will give me more info for planting this coming spring.
See my reply to Sue — for more detail on when I’ll plant.
Let me know how you do this fall with peas Carol.
Theresa
I planted last year in August for a fall crop and had good success. Since I got so few in the spring, I will plant a lot in the fall.
Did not realize you did not have to blanche them after shelling.
Carol
It’s great not to have to blanche, Carol. Of course, I use all of my frozen peas within a year and I think that’s a good policy for veggies not blanched.
Let me know how you do in the fall.
Theresa
Although I planted too few peas, they did great for me here in Annapolis. The weather was, as you say, “perfect” for them. I had both Green Arrow and Sugar Ann snap peas. I still didn’t have enough to freeze, or even cook with because of all the snacking from the family outside, so I consider them a recreational food. I would have to plant a LOT of peas to get surplus to put by. Same with blueberries.
The excellent side of what you are telling me is that those 3 kids LOVE snacking from the garden!
How lucky are they!!!!
Theresa
No blanching needed for peas??? Just wash? Then bag and freeze? I did 8 qts of peas yesterday…..2nd picking from 4 rows and 1st from 4 rows. Our peas germinated beautifully and the weather is perfect for them! We will be planting 1st of August for fall crop too. We still have a ton more on the plants and the vines look beautiful! Thanks for the information Theresa!
Stephanie, I’ve been shelling and freezing without blanching for years and am very pleased with the results. My peas are in the freezer within an hour or so of harvest.
I don’t even wash my peas after shelling because they are very clean when they come out of my also clean pods.
I do lay them out to make sure there is nothing that doesn’t belong.
So glad your crop has been good. You’ll really enjoy the taste of fresh peas in the winter!
Theresa
Theresa, Thanks to your previous posts, I did leave the pea roots in the ground, I just cut them off at the base and it did not disturb the squash plants. Thanks for your helpful posts.
You are so welcome Alice. It really pleases me that you find them helpful.
Theresa