Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi All,

I sowed mangetout, sugar snap pea and maincrop pea together in a raised bed at the end of April. They've grown really well, but now at about 3' high, there isn't a single flower on the mangetout or the sugar snap. The pea (Kelevdon Wonder) was poor to germinate and are small in comparison to their bedfellows, but the ones that have come through are flowering at least.

It's looking like I have some good green manure but nothing to harvest.

Is this normal? How high do they get before you see a bud? If something is amiss I wouldn't mind knowing where I went wrong to avoid the problem in future.

Advice please?

if it's any reassurance i planted some kelvedon wonder & sugar snaps at the same time,the KW are a bit puny looking but have the beginnings of peas,on the other hand the SS's are huge/healthy looking plants but have only just come into flower~happened almost overnight,like you i was starting to get concerned as up until a couple of days ago they were nothing but leaves~no expert but i'd say hang in there!I guess they're just a later fruiter?

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

Hmm, I'll just wait and see what happens then. Wondered if I done something, or it was a rogue batch but perhaps they'll come after all that vigorous growth. Interesting that you say the KW weren't robust. It's not the first time I've heard that. Other batches I've sown were also very poor. I've had a much higher percentage of germination from Wilkes value seeds 'Onward' variety so I wasn't convinced it was the conditions that were wrong. Thanks so much for your reply.

It will depend on the type. Mine are Oregon Sugar Pod and are about 4ft high. They got to full height before they put out much flower but now they are covered (with flowers AND pods - guess what's for tea tonight?)

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It takes more oil than vinegar to make a good salad dressing.

vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated Sept 7th 2008

hi - i have the same problem - sugar snaps are about 2.5ft high and no flowers, or so I thought....had a look today and flowers are appearing - this gardening game requires much patience it seems i'm sure you'll have peas soon!

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"A cat sees no good reason why it should obey another animal, even if it does stand on two legs."

Hi, and thanks! Looking at them again today, they've grown even taller, well above the supporting canes and still not a flower to be found! If they do produce a pod one good thing is I won't have to stoop to pick them! Flummery I have the same variety so maybe another foot of growth to go then fingers crossed.

You have to remember that peas, beans etc grow flowers and pods and seeds in order to reproduce themselves. If you're too kind to them, give them loads of manure, water etc, they feel safe and just grow leaves. Hence the small puny plants are already producing flowers - they need to keep the species going. You need to strike a balance between good growing conditions and over-cosseting. That way you should get crops - barring natural disasters like drought, hurricanes etc.

If it's any reassurance, I've got some quite tall mangetout/snowpeas... but no flowers either. I will wait and see for any signs.

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"Excellently observed," answered Candide; "but let us cultivate our garden."

There may be some sensible truth in Rustylady's suggestion. Lots of healthy leaf growth, tall plants, but few flowers. Could it be that it's a new raised bed which had a good barrow full or two of mushroom compost added to the soil? Too rich. Will put them straight into the ground in future with much wider spacing. Flowers have finally appeared, at the very tops of the plants. Hurray!!

You need to be a bit hard to your plants. They need enough nutrients for normal growth, but too much and they don't feel the need to reproduce. You need to worry them a bit!

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It takes more oil than vinegar to make a good salad dressing.

vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated Sept 7th 2008