silly question from a newbie

[JennieAtkinson]

Cutting down peas ? Mine are only 4/5 inches high !

[lyndap]

My early peas are on last legs now.Still producing a few,but will get tops cut off prob end of week.Then my courgettes and sweetcorn will have more room(I grow them in the same bed).

[sewer rat]

My Early Onward peas are beginning to fill out their pods and my Alderman peas are now at least six ft and starting to flower.
Jennie, mine were very slow to start but when they got going, they went for it big time.

[JennieAtkinson]

That's good news Rat - I was beginning to think I wasn't going to get any this year. I am sure everything is a good 2/3 weeks behind, given the cold spell we had in April.

[nick the grief]

Courgettes always seem to have more male than female flowers to start with so I wuldn't worry. Before you know it I bet you'll be snowed under by courgettes and you'll be looking up the thread on courgette recipes like me!!!
Good luck!

I was lucky enough to win a copy of the book " What will I do with all those Courgettes?" it's advertised in GYO Mag & I had been thinking of buying it but didn't. Having read it I think it's well worth the £7-95 that it costs.

[bramble]

I have just harvested my third picking from my Onward peas. I have to say I have never had such a good crop ever. The only thing I casn think of is, they were planted in soil which has'nt been used for about ten years at least and was the site of many a bonfire, so plenty of woodash. Whatever reason am having a great harvest.

[Does the Cooking]

I was told to get one of the 'things' that have a bud of cotton end (used for babies) and basicaly rub in every flowers (as per above 'erotic' instructions.) I think they're called 'Cotton Buds'. I hope this makes as much sense to you as I think it does to me.

[pickledtink]

Cutting down peas ? Mine are only 4/5 inches high !

Lots better than mine.
First sowing didn't germinate and when I poked about ( well you do don't you? ) gone all yucky and squidgy!
2nd lot. Same! Must be rotten pea seeds. Fed up cos probably too late to sow now. I've shoved some more in as I live in the South but even if they germinate ( unlikely because same dodgy seed source) I'm not going to be eating them anytime soon.
4-5 inches high would seem largesse by comparison. end of August you'll be sharpening your peapod shucking fingernail and rattling the mint in its bed with anticipation.

[JennieAtkinson]

Pickledtink - I'm not one of the knowledegable people on this site, but I think you can grow peas right through the year. Because of where I live I only really get one shot at it, as I am only really able to sow in May (although the new greenhouse (sorry to keep going on about it ) might let me sow things earlier.

Might be worth seeing if there are some late peas to sow. Or can someone else advise - or am I talking nonsense

[Lesley Jay]

You can sow a first early variety now and they should be ready in the autumn.

[nick the grief]

Hi JA, you can grow peas in pots as well if you want.

About 6 seeds in a 9" pot should be good & then put some sticks in bearing in mind they may get a bit taller because it will get hotter in the greenhouse than out in the garden & they'll Draw.

If you use the earliest variety you can find you could do successional sowings (every month or so) until you can get out side to sow.

Just think New Tatties & Peas in march - you'll be the envy of all your friends

[bramble]

Hi Pickledtink, I never sow my pea seed directly into the open ground but always start them off in plant modules and when they are an inch or two high I then plant them out in rows in the open ground. I always think it gives them a better start. Try this method as its still not too late.
Good luck and let me know how you get on.
Bramble.

[FoxHillGardener]

I've got some Sugar Lord left over. Will they get big enough for peas if planted now? or should I just eat them as shoots?