Monday, July 31, 2017

Pretty peas

On May 2, I planted peas.


They grew absolutely beautifully. In my opinion, peas are one of the loveliest of garden plants.




But there comes a point where you have to stop admiring and start picking. So, on July 24, I did just that.


The pods were plump and ripe...


...and an irresistible temptation to mice and chipmunks. Yep, better get picking.


I ended up with two large bowls.


Right away I turned around and stripped out the vines...


...and replanted. I may -- may -- be able to squeeze in another harvest in before winter.


I took my time shelling the peas. It's one of those pleasant pastimes I can do for a few minutes here or there between other chores.


Anytime I came across an excellent pod, I put it aside for next year's seed peas.


I ended up with almost five pounds of peas. For the time being I froze them, but I'll can them a little later in the season.


I'll let these peas dry for next year's seed.


And so the cycle continues.

7 comments:

  1. I dream of having a decent crop of peas. One year, perhaps...

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  2. Awesome! Peas are a favorite here. I'm growing them in big pots on our patio this year. Our dog absolutely loves 'em, too. ;-)

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  3. I tried to save some pea seed for the next year, when I checked on the seed in the middle of winter, I found all of the seeds had holes in them. It looked like something ate the inside of the peas. My heart sank.

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  4. I've been told only pods left to dry completely on the vine yield viable seeds for planting. Have you had any luck drying "green" pea or bean pods?

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    1. I always dry green peas for planting and have never had a problem. The trouble with leaving pods on the vine is it's sometimes hard to tell which ones are the best (since you always want to use the best peas for seed). I find it's easier to pluck out the very best pods for seed while shelling everything all at once.

      - Patrice

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  5. Did you blanch your peas before freezing them? They look yummy.

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    Replies
    1. Nope, I just throw them in a Ziplock bag and stick 'em in the freezer. As I mentioned, I do plan to can them this fall.

      - Patrice

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