Garden Action

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Harvest of Peas (continued - page 3)

Garden peas are best when slightly immature - when fully mature they become hard and loose the sweet taste. Harvesting them early also encourages them to produce more. As a guide, peas are normally ready for harvest three weeks after flowering. Peas quickly loose their flavour after harvesting, so pick them just before they are required for cooking.

The peas at the bottom of the plant will tend to be ready first, so begin harvesting here, working up as time progresses. When the plant stops producing peas, cut the top of the plant off and leave the roots in the ground to compost for next year.

Varieties
GardenAction recommends the following varieties (click here to review the various types):

Type Variety Comment

First Early Kelvedon Wonder Height 60cm (2ft), can also be used in place of maincrop variety. Vigorous and reliable cropper - RHS Award

Second early Hurst Green Shaft Height 75cm (2.5ft), great taste, good disease resistance. Click on the left for a picture.

Maincrop Onward Height 90cm (3ft), very prolific.

Mangetout Delikett Height 90cm (3ft), delicious, RHS Award


Name: Graham
E-mail: Private
Date posted: August 12, 2011 - 12:32 am
Message: My garden peas seemed to be florishing well with pods forming and starting to fill However the leaves have started forming whiteish blotches on them and today one of the plants has started to die. Have i got a problem?


Name: Nancy Berry
E-mail: Private
Date posted: August 07, 2011 - 10:09 am
Message: What are some pea varieties that grow in zone 9? Even in winter, our temps sometimes exceed 75 degrees. Inquiry from Seguin, TX


Name: Stuart
E-mail: Private
Date posted: August 06, 2011 - 05:09 am
Message: I have found clumps of round white eggs? in the soil around the roots when taking my peas out of the ground. What are they and how do i get rid of them?