The greenhouse ends up as a bit of a dumping ground over the winter and needs a good sorting out just so I can move around inside comfortably. Then, of course, there is the problem of soil everywhere from boots, flower pots etc., and a gizillion spiders!
There are only a few things growing in the greenhouse currently - leeks, tomatoes, peppers and some peas and mangetout seedlings. At this time of year, you can sow peas and mangetout seeds directly in the ground but I like to start them off in the greenhouse. We have a bit of a problem on the allotment with hungry mice digging peas up and eating them. In addition, the soil is still a bit cold and wet for the seeds to much feel like germinating. And, of course, we have the usual problem of slugs and snails liking to munch on fresh new growth. So, all in all, it is a good idea to start them off away from all these issues and transplant them once they are big enough to survive.
It can be quite tricky to have a container big enough to grow sufficient pea seeds to make it worthwhile. The container doesn't have to be particularly deep but you don't want the peas to end up with all their roots tangled together, which would make transplanting them difficult without damaging them.
The absolutely perfect container for growing peas is old guttering. We got some off a friend a while back and we cut them into lengths the same width as the beds on our allotment. This means that once they have grown, we can dig out a trench on the allotment and transfer the pea seedlings directly into it.
We usually grow mangetout as well as peas. There are two really good things that I like about mangetout. Firstly, because it is the pod that is eaten and not the peas inside, they are ready to harvest sooner because you don't have to wait for the peas to develop. As such they can be ready to harvest in early June. Secondly, because you eat the pod, you only need a few pods to make a portion, whereas with peas, you can pick lots of pods and by the time you have shelled them you can be surprised by how few peas you have actually harvested! Shelling peas is quite a time consuming process and you can't do it if you are trying to make dinner in a hurry. Let's just say, sometimes its handy to reach for a bag of frozen peas! But I disgress. Mangetout are also quite pricey in the shops, costing a pound or more for a very small tray. When you grow your own, you can easy grow lots and, as a consequence, you can eat lots too!
You may also consider growing sugarsnap peas, which are like fat podded mangetout. These grow very nicely - just don't forget to label them so that you remember what they are and don't accidentally waste time waiting for the peas inside to develop.
As for choosing pea varieties, there isn't a lot of difference between most varieties. Some can be planted in the autumn and overwintered for a slightly earlier crop. Some spring planting ones are described as early cropping and some are described as late. The difference between them is nothing more than a few weeks. Some peas have very long pods with lots of peas inside but generally most pea pods have about 6 peas inside when fully developed. You can also buy petit pois type peas, which have multiple small peas in pods. Lovely to eat but just remember you need to grow and pick even more to get a good portion on your plate! You can also buy some that grow into very tall plants that need to grow up some kind of support, but most varieties these days grow just a couple of feet tall. You can find some that have purple pods too, although the peas inside are green. Most have white flowers but you can get purple flowering ones too, which are particularly lovely in the garden.
Once seedlings have grown big enough in the guttering, I plant those out on the allotment and sow another batch in the guttering. This leads to "successional sowing". This can be achieved when planting straight into the ground too. The idea is that you sow your seeds a couple of weeks apart and then the plants go onto to develop and crop two weeks apart too, leading to a steady crop for several weeks instead of one big crop all in one go. It does seem to kind of work, although it seems to me that later sown peas just try to catch up and end up developing their peas when they are smaller plants.
When you plant out peas it's a good idea to provide them with some kind of support straight away for them to climb up, otherwise they have a tendency to grip onto anything within grasp. This could be something as simple as a wigwam of canes but I prefer to use branches I have pruned off our fruit trees (see yesterday's blog). They have a lovely twiggy nature that seems to suit peas perfectly and it makes use of something that has no other purpose and you didn't have to go out to buy.
Once growing, keep them free from weeds and keep the slugs at bay and all should be fine. In dry spells, water the plants otherwise they will shrivel up and that will be the end of that. They will flower and then the pods will start to form. If they are mangetout, pick them whilst the pods are still flat. For peas, wait for the pods to swell but gently squeeze them to feel for peas inside as at first the peas will be tiny. Try to pick all the mangetout or fat pea pods that are there at any one time because peas will stop flowering and making more pods as soon as they have succeeded in creating mature pea seeds. Besides, overly fat mangetout or over mature peas just aren't nice to eat anyway.
Pea moths are in the habit of laying their eggs inside developing pea pods so later in the season don't be surprised to find a maggot or two inside the pea pods as you shell them. I say that casually as if it is possible but of course it isn't - you will always be surprised when you come across a maggot - and grossed out too I should think! If you normally wear reading glasses then I would recommend wearing them when podding peas so as not to miss this pesky little creatures!
As the plants reach the end of their season they will just dry up and die and that will be that. The pea harvest only lasts for a few weeks but freshly grown peas are delicious and can be enjoyed straight out of the pod without cooking. Harvesting enough to make a decent meal can be difficult anyway so you may as well just pop them in your mouth as you go!
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