Quick pea query!

[chris]

My Hurst Greenshaft are flowering now - I opened one of the flowers up, and could see almost like a coiled camelion tongue type thing in there- bright green.. Is this the start of a pod?

[Flummery]

It certainly is. And they grow very fast!

[chris]

Sweet, cheers Flummery :-)

What size do you pick? Can you just bang em in the freezer - or do they need to be blanched?

[Flummery]

With Greenshaft, wait till you can feel that the pod is solid. Too early and the peas aren't all fully formed. If you wait till the pod rattles they are a bit past it - but still better than shop ones! Try one or two till you feel condifent you can tell.

I rarely have a glut but if I do I don't bother blanching - just bag them up in a good quality poly bag and freeze.

[chris]

podded first or not?

thanks again

[Alison]

I pod then open freeze on a tray (no blanching) then bag up. That way they're dead fresh and not stuck together. Found a small bag in the freezer a few weeks ago from last year so ate them up before I started on this years crop last weekend

[chris]

great, thanks - I've never podded peas before so really looking forward to it!

[crazii_c]

I've never podded peas before so really looking forward to it!

my peas were one of my highlights from veg growing last year. they just taste so sweet. none of mine ever made it back to the kitchen because i couldnt resit just popping open the pod and eating them.

[mermaid]

hello there garden guru, my garden pea plants seem to be dying off at the base of the plants do you know why this might happen ?

[chris]

The leaves? Mine are doing similar - I suspect the reason for mine is due to slug damage (seeing as the leaves are all holey).

[Two_Sheds]

my garden pea plants seem to be dying off at the base of the plants do you know why this might happen ?

Could be any number of things.

- slugs
- ants
- pea weevil
- sparrows
- pigeons
- over-watering
- under-watering
- powdery mildew
- old age


Got a photo?

[Flummery]

They do tend to go yellow at the bottom. As long as they are producing flowers and setting fruits I ignore it. I ignore most things I don't like. It generally works!

[chris]

does it work with other halfs?

[Flummery]

does it work with other halfs?

Depends what he's doing! Some things it's hard to ignore!

[Llamas]

As with dogs, ignore unwanted behavior and lavishy praise/reward the good. ;P