The winter Pea House

[Can the Man]

Thnx VC you've just reminded me to sow some of my Winterkefe. I usually start them in Feb, but a mild winter might give me some even earlier than usual - can only try.
It was Baltic overnight but things soon warm up in there on a sunny morning, so fingers crossed

Hi Thelma, I don’t know about Kent, but I was out for a walk today, and couldn’t believe the number of red berries on the holly bushes, my Da always predicted the winter based on the hedgerows and very seldom got it wrong, when you have that many berries that soon in winter is a prime warning for a harsh winter. I’m hoping it won’t be, but as my Da used say, Mother Nature looks after its own.

[veggiechicken]

Lots of holly berries here too and they've been red for a couple of months. I'm not really worried as they're always here at this time of year.

Hope I don't have to eat my words!!

[ameno]

Lots of berries just means you had a good summer. It's not any sort of indicator of things to come (plants can't predict the future).

[veggiechicken]

Try anything, I do!! I am going to take precautions against those meeces though, they always seem to find any peas I sow in the GH.

Started clearing the GH today and found signs of unauthorised activity.
A mound of soil, that wasn't there a couple of days ago................and some buried acorns.
The GH door has been open overnight for a few weeks so I'm assuming that some pesky crittur has been wandering in to hide its winter larder. Either squirrel or mouse - or, heaven forbid, rat, though I don't know whether they stash acorns.
Looks like I'll be starting my peas in modules elsewhere!

[Can the Man]

Started clearing the GH today and found signs of unauthorised activity.
A mound of soil, that wasn't there a couple of days ago................and some buried acorns.
The GH door has been open overnight for a few weeks so I'm assuming that some pesky crittur has been wandering in to hide its winter larder. Either squirrel or mouse - or, heaven forbid, rat, though I don't know whether they stash acorns.
Looks like I'll be starting my peas in modules elsewhere!

Most likely a squirrel

[Snoop Puss]

You'll have great success with Douce Provence. I sowed several rows in November one year and had a fantastic harvest the following late winter-early spring. That was the hardest winter we've ever had, with knee-high-deep snow that lasted a couple of weeks on two occasions and thigh-high-deep snow on one occasion that cut us off from the village for three weeks. I covered them with plastic only once. In a greenhouse... easy-peasy.

Now I'm a bit better organised, I'll be doing the same this year.

[bikermike]

My Aquadulce Claudia have started sprouting in the greenhouse. Need to harden them off soon and then get them out.

[chillithyme]

I'm joining in too I had planned to sow broadbeans but keep putting it off. I don't have a greenhouse, but I will start them off today indoors or in my blowaway and plant them out. I might even treat them to a mini fleece cover I bought in the sale.

It will be nice to see how everybody gets on with the peas

[Snoop Puss]

^Too cold here for those, BM. If you've got room outdoors, you too should do well with Douce Provence peas. You don't get a massive crop per plant, but always better than nothing, especially at that time of year.

[veggiechicken]

I'm a fan of Wizard field beans https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ans_94094.html
They may grow for you Snoop

[Snoop Puss]

^I've got some. The best place for them is in a patch that needs a huuuge amount of weeding...

[veggiechicken]

Because of my concerns about meeces in the GH I've reincarnated an old nutty idea from a couple of years ago - starting peas in cotton wool. https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...dea_92605.html
I have Meteor and Douce Provence seeds, nestling in beds of cotton wool in the kitchen where they will stay until they germinate.

[rary]

VC I bought a couple of those electronic rodent deterrents and if you have electricity in your greenhouse I would recommend them, I was a bit sceptical of them to start with but I have used them for over a year now with no rodent problem

[veggiechicken]

No electric but I could train one of the dogs to run a treadmill to generate electric..................or leave the dogs in there, fulltime. They already dig away at the beds on the trail of something, usually tomatoes.

[SarrissUK]

No electric but I could train one of the dogs to run a treadmill to generate electric..................or leave the dogs in there, fulltime. They already dig away at the beds on the trail of something, usually tomatoes.

haha your dogs like tomatoes? Never heard of that. My rottie can sniff out a tomato in a stew and push it to the side if I give her leftovers lol