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Am gathering in my dried Douce Provence pea pods to use as seeds for next year. Just under half the peas are green, the rest are white. Why the difference? Are the white peas maybe less viable as seeds for next year?
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I've no idea, but I noticed some very pale coloured peas when I harvested my Douce Provence (to eat) earlier this year. Maybe its just a feature of that variety.A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP. - Leonard Nimoy -
I don't think it's significant, Snoop. I have some pea seeds I saved that are the same. It may show some genetic variation within the variety, or it may just be that some were more mature than others when you harvested them.Comment
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Don't think it makes a difference. Are the white ones in the same pods as the green ones or is it pods of green then pods of white? If it's separate pods are they mixed up on the same plant or does one plant only have green, one white? Are they the same texture/hardness - could it be that they're further along in drying?
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- I must be a Nutter,VC says so -Comment
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Thanks, guys. Jay-ell, they're mixed in the same pod.Comment
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Update: I was sitting having a beer with Mr Snoop, podding the last of the peas. As I sat there, quite a few little caps started to lift up and moths emerged. All the affected peas were the white ones. So I've discarded the white ones (two of the dogs thought they were great) and I'm only keeping the green ones.
Not very scientific, obviously. But better safe than sorry. And I've still got enough for a November sowing and a February sowing.Comment
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Sounds like pea moth then, although usually it is fairly obvious when you have these as the peas have holes in and there is evidence of caterpillar poo in the pods. Maybe you have a different sort of pea moth in Spain though.A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP. - Leonard NimoyComment
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Only a couple of the pods had poo in. Really bizarre that the caterpillars should have managed to get inside the peas without leaving any evidence of their presence till they emerge. If I hadn't seen it happening, I'd never have believed it.Comment
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I think I might have found it: pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum). The entry holes are 0.2 mm across, apparently. So I evidently missed them. I'll have a look at all my green ones more closely to check them. Unfortunately, vetch is widespread in the area, so I'll never be able to eradicate them, however much I try to keep on top of them locally.Comment
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Sounds grim. There really does seem to be no limit to the number of pests that can infest our veg
A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP. - Leonard NimoyComment
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