All about Podded Peas

We tend to be self sufficient in frozen garden peas. They are used mainly as a veg. on the plate and added to omelettes and vegetable dishes.

I grow a variety of Hurst green shaft that I have saved seeds from for the past about 20 years but it has acquired a fungus disease which I am trying to get rid of. I don't think it is too serious as the yield is not much affected. They seem to grow to about 4' now. Last year was quite a poor yield I only got 5.2kg (13kg of pods) from a 40' row while I got the same from a 34' row the year before. Also they didn't produce for very long last year (only 5 pickings in total), may be they didn't like the very hot weather.

I don't get troubled with too many caterpillars in the pods. The first pickings, usually I don't find any but the later ones a few. The pods I save for seeds can be quite highly infected as they are on the plants far longer. I used to sow a couple of other varieties for succession picking but the later ones always had more caterpillars so now I just sow once. Last year I sowed in early April and started picking in early July. Will do the same this year hopefully. I think 50' @ 12 peas/ft. So will need 600 seeds. Just need to decide where to put them.