Wednesday 10 August 2011

Autumn peas

On 24th July I sowed a few peas. I normally only grow one batch of peas, in the Spring, but this year, since the pea crop was pretty poor, I thought I would try a few for Autumn harvesting. The variety I chose was "Kelvedon Wonder". I sowed about a dozen seeds in each of two 12" pots. They germinated very quickly - much more quickly than ones of the same variety back in March.

1st August

They are now growing away very strongly and I think I might transplant them into the bed where the summer broccoli is, since I will be digging up the broccoli plants in a few days' time. Originally I had planned to grow the peas in those pots (this is why I chose a compact variety), but I've changed my mind!


They will do better in the bed, and it will be easier to give them some support. Unless you grow the very short varieties, you do need to provide something for them to climb up. I'm not planning to erect a fancy support structure like I did for my first batch of peas. I thought I might try a wigwam of bamboo canes, or maybe even just a circle of plastic clematis netting. I'll decide nearer the time...

5th August
I expect we still have 8 - 10 weeks of decent growing weather left this year before it gets cold, so I hope the peas will come to maturity within this time.

7 comments:

  1. I was planning to sow fall peas this year. I really think it's a bit too late now though as we have only about 9 weeks until our first frost date. Maybe I should sow a few this weekend when I do some fall planting and see what happens.

    Good luck with yours!

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  2. I'm interested to see how things do in the fall. I've got about 80+/- days as well.

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  3. Argh! I just lost my comment! Ooo that makes me cranky. Silly computers. I was saying that my first lot of peas did the same as yours, and then my second lot also did the same. I also blathered on about a pea connection between us stretching halfway around the world, but it is so not working well in the retelling.

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  4. Unless you want to tie them in bamboo canes won't do the job by themselves as the tendrils needs something finer to cling on to - we use sticks or canes covered with pea netting or string.

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  5. Good Luck with the peas. I made a mistake of sowing peas to early this year. Too cold for them to set proper pods. Lucky I have back-up with succession sowing each month.

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  6. I'm still mourning the loss of my pea seedlings to a pack of evil and maraudering slugs (or possibly snails) - especially as I probably need to save the space for tomatoes now - so no peas this year.....oh well

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  7. I'm planting to put in peas and carrots this week-end. I hope it's not too late, we'll see.

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