All about Peas

[veggiechicken]

Peas!! So many different types.
Round seeded, wrinkle seeded, sugarsnap and mangetout.
Tall growing or dwarf
For eating fresh or for drying - or growing for pea-shoots.

Which do/don't you grow and why? Any recommendation?

[bearded bloke]

I grow round varieties, mainly for Mrs.BB to eat straight from the pods while she is tending the shrubs that border the raised beds

[bramble]

Usually grow Early Onward for an early crop, as it says on the tin.
I have had success with these year after year.

[Thelma Sanders]

I usually grow Hurst Green shaft - waist high (easier on my back than the shorties) It's double podded and most pods have 11 peas inside. From an early(mid March) sowing it usually misses the pea moth, always a bonus.

My next pea is Alderman - similar to Hurst but taller and crops over a slightly longer period.

I also grow Real Seeds Bijou mangetout - truly enormous mangetout

The last few years I have grown Super Sugarsnap (fat podded mangetout) but couldn't save seeds because bad weather made the seed pods rot so need another variety for next year. Will also try to grow an old variety from very old seed, in order to save seeds for the future.
The yield from Sugarsnaps is very heavy compared to normal peas

[Alison]

Grow a variety of tall peas, much better than dwarf ones as more productive and less back ache . Do grow a few early dwarf ones in the tunnel but they're not as good.

[sparrow100]

I got some Kent Blue seeds from a very kind person on another forum 3 seasons ago and now grow them every year. They are rare, have stunning purple & blue flowers and the prolific mangetout are very tasty (the mature peas are not very good). Can you tell I like 'em? On their recommendation I am going to grow them in the greenhouse from Feb for an early crop.

I have a lot of interesting varieties to try out. so will keep an eye on this thread to see if they get a mention.

[veggiechicken]

I've been growing Real Seeds Bijou mangetout for several years. As Thelma says, the pods are enormous. Overwintered some last year in the polytunnel and had some very early pickings. Going to start some seeds soon and will try them in pots in the GH this year.

Each year, I try growing normal peas but am always disappointed with the yield. Just enough to nibble on in the garden, but, for me, they don't earn their space. Not sure I will bother next year..............but someone here may tempt me!

I'm going to try a few different sugarsnap peas next year. Eating the pods make far more sense to me, than throwing them away.

[Thelma Sanders]

Yield can be low for ordinary peas, if you don't sow enough...sow 10-12 seeds per foot row and expect a pound of peas per foot row.

That's why I like sugarsnaps cos you get to eat the pods as well, so probably double the weight lol

[WilliamD]

I grew these Blauwschokker this year, just for the interest of the pink flowers and purple pods. They're supposedly a marrowfat and were very nice, but as with so many pea varieties I did wish the yield was higher.

[Chippy Minton]

We generally go for a short (exposed site) and early (impatient) variety, Meteor being the go to variety. However we did try one of those T&M multi-season type packs and were very impressed with Balmoral. As said at the start there are just so many to choose from

[Bren In Pots]

I grow tall Telephone peas they crop over a long period then at the end of the row just a few Purple podded peas that i use as mange tout in salads and stir fries.

[1Bee]

I like Carouby de Mausanne for mangetout... they're a tall variety. Once grew them up a wall which was shaded at its foot. Had to use a ladder to climb the wall to pick them... ;-)

[bario1]

Frozen garden peas are cheap and tasty, and podding peas is a pain in the rear. Mange tout I find a bit slimy when cooked. So I only grow a few sugarsnaps - last couple of years I've grown Deliket, which is very tasty, but I would prefer something that grew taller and cropped for longer.

[Guest]

I grow a few of everything. Most years I grow 'green sage' a short semi leafless variety, 'collosal climbing' as it reads and 'carlin' round drying pea with pretty purple flowers and a good cropper. I also like goldensweet mangetout purely for the fact the pods are easy to see calibra petit pois are also rather nice. However, like most people peas don't tend to make it back to my kitchen. If I want to guarantee peas for cooking then 'champion of england' peas (tall variety) do make it to the kitchen

New ones I tried this year that I was really pleased with 'crown peas', really pretty, crop at the same time and lovely peas although white flowered cropped a lot more for me. 'Giant Stride' meant to climb upto 10ft but mine didn't climb however they were fantastic peas even when they were really fat (marrowfat size) they were still really sweet. 'Boddingtons' a drying gave a fantastic crop. 'Parsley pea' a bit of a novelty with tendrils that taste of asparagus when eaten really young but they do give a fair crop of lovely peas

My disappointments were winterkefe just didn't perform, kent blue (sorry Sparrow) mine seemed to bypass mangetout stage and the peas are not great nor the actual crop and King Tut was also a poor performer

I need to have a rethink on growing peas as I need to deter sparrows so I might have to start opting for short varieties.

Yes, I think we all know by now I am a seedaholic

[vixylix]

I grew sugar snaps this year and was really impressed. I had peas pretty early (sorry dont have the dates with me) and they were still cropping heavily when they succumbed to powdery mildew a few weeks ago.

I think they have the best flavour, provide excellent value for money over buying them in the shops and I love the flexibility - from crunchy mangetout to fat sugar snaps to full grown peas - depending on your mood at the time.

They're an excellent all rounder and I'll be growing again next year!