Newbie - trying peas

[FloraG]

Hi All
I have lurked for a long time and have now decided to join you. I have planted Unwins half pint peas in polystyrene cells a couple of weeks ago, all have germinated but I think they must be too warm in the conservatory. Is it too cold to put them in the unheated (but bubble wrapped) greenhouse? If I plant them in the greenhouse does that mean I can't put my tomatoes in there later? Or should they be planted in the ground.
I live close to the Humber Bridge but can't figure out how to add that to my profile!

[Scarlet]

Hello Flora and welcome to the vine. Peas aren't tender so they shouldn't be too bothered with the cold - they are probably getting a bit leggy indoors? I think the half pint peas are short variety so they would be fine in pots or troughs in the greenhouse. I think they would probably have finished before you put your tomatoes in if you wanted to grow them in the borders?
Let us know what you decide to do

[nickdub]

Scarlet has given good advice already on your basic question, so I'll put that to one side.

Just to say a lot of gardening is trial and error, particularly when you start, so don't be too upset or put off if things go wrong - we've all had many failures over the years. As to peas, personally I like the tall varieties such as Alderman - they do take longer to grow, but they also give you more crop per plant as they can easily reach 6' or higher. There is no absolute right method, but I usually sow some inside in the Spring, say April or a little later in a cold year, and then plant them out when they are about 4 or 5 inches high. The one thing peas hate is having dry roots, so you need to make sure they are well watered if the ground happens to dry out when they are small, and if you grow later plants towards the end of Summer then it can be hard to get enough water to the roots when they need it - therefore planting with the seasons as it were, when the soil is wet after the winter is the least work.

[Scarlet]

And I can't be bothered podding peas
- even though they are delicious
So I just grow trays of peas for pea shoots.

[veggiechicken]

...............and mangetout/sugarsnap peas as I dislike throwing away the pods on ordinary peas.

Hi Flora and welcome. You'l'l be able to edit your profile when you've made a few more posts.

[burnie]

You can make wine from pea pods, never done it, but it is supposed to not taste of peas when it's ready.

[FloraG]

RE: Newbie

Thank you all for the welcome. I think I'm going to plant them in the greenhouse, I saw on here everyone was getting Meteor but there was none left when I got to the garden centre. The soil here is very heavy clay, it squelchs in winter and is rock hard in summer.

[veggiechicken]

I have some peas in the GH - sown direct in December (I think!). They don't seem to be suffering from the frosty nights.

[SarrissUK]

Hi Flora, we are practically neighbours! I'm east from you, in Grimsby

I haven't started anything yet, so you're ahead of me. I tend to mostly grow peas for shoots, and that I usually do on the window sill with a box of Leo peas.

I grew peas last year on the allotment, but didn't start them until mid spring. They should do fine in the greenhouse! If it's squelching in the ground, perhaps put them in pots

Welcome to the Vine!

[FloraG]

Hi Flora, we are practically neighbours! I'm east from you, in Grimsby

I haven't started anything yet, so you're ahead of me. I tend to mostly grow peas for shoots, and that I usually do on the window sill with a box of Leo peas.

I grew peas last year on the allotment, but didn't start them until mid spring. They should do fine in the greenhouse! If it's squelching in the ground, perhaps put them in pots

Welcome to the Vine!

Hi Sarriss, I'm in Barton so yes, not too far away. I always found it was windier in Grimsby than here. Squelchy outside whenever it rains, but ok in greenhouse. So, I think I know what I am doing tomorrow, planting peas in the greenhouse

[self-contained]

Hello Flora. I'm also in Grimsby (temporarily, after relocating last summer) and have been surprised by the wind here. I often find everything blown all around my back garden (such as it is). I also had the very strange experience of walking home from work the other evening, and having the wind whipping at my feet powerfully enough to make me tread carefully but not being at all noticeable otherwise.

I'm growing in containers (as I'm renting), and pretty limited in what I can grow as I'll be moving again in the autumn, but definitely think taller crops are likely to be out. It's a shame, as I had been thinking I might get enough runner beans and crystal lemon cucumbers (which did well for me elsewhere), or mange tout (which I haven't grown before, but have the seeds all ready to go!) before I move to justify trying to get some plants off to an early start. Sadly, I had enough trouble with my obelisked containers toppling over in a less windy town to think I've any chance of getting away with it here! (Though maybe I could try the cucumbers horizontally somehow?)

I've no experience with peas (other than growing them as a small child) but do grow pea shoots and have some (hopefully) thinking about sprouting on my new indoor mocked up window ledge (a table in front of my woefully inadequate actual ledge, as advised by folks here).

One day (hopefully - fingers very crossed - by the end of this year), I will have my own house with a garden where I can grow all the things I've been dreaming about since I first started to grow things to eat (before that, I've always dabbled with flowers and house plants, but largely unsuccessfully). By then, you can give me all your new-found pea-growing tips!

[FBI]

I've never grown peas before but I've chucked some into buckets to see how they get on - from a box of Batchelor's "Bigga" dried (aka mushy peas :-) NO idea what I'll get or what they'll turn out like but, a week after sowing (currently in the GH) they're showing their little green heads today! I know others have tried similar so we'll see...