Peas please??

Good morning, experts.
I want to have lots of peas this year, from sugar snaps to cream peas. Last year I was way too late planting them, and want to get it right this year. I'm in upstate SC, zone 7b or 8 depending on where you look. The spring weather is very iffy, Easter was 90 degrees one year and 17 the next. How soon can I plant? I've read the packages and searched DG (but willing to do it again if someone can give me search terms that might work, mine found little) and I still have no clue.

So, I welcome advice, and if anyone has a website or such that might help, I'll quit bothering you nice people.

If not, I'm quite adept at nagging *G*.

I really want many peas......

margo

I just asked somewhat the same question on the "potatoes in straw" thread. Will be watching here for help.

Christi

You have to go with the garden/english peas and the sugar snaps first, they like the cool weather. Plant the minute you know they wont freeze hard. .
The DG'r that sent my favorite of last year...red ripper peas, lives in SC and he plants in April. You will get peas all thru the summer...at least with the red rippers. I didnt plant mine till July, cuz I didnt have the space, they were going strong still in Nov, but we had that freak early frost. This year Im adding purple hull and some butterbeans. I have the snow peas growing right now, they are not doing so hot.

Hi catmad! I bought from this company and was very pleased with the quality and service. You have to call them to place a credit card offer, and they are so pleasant. This year I bought Purple Knuckle Hull Purple Hull peas.....HTH, Karen

http://www.cooperseeds.com/pages/vegetables/Peas.html

Edited because I mistakenly thought you were looking for a good place to buy peas...sorry I don't know the info you're looking for..

This message was edited Jan 7, 2009 12:40 PM

No expert here. just an oldtimer who likes peas. First of all, your climate is very similar to mine, so for English type peas ( Pisum sativum) I plant smooth seeded types like Willet Wonder and Early Alaska around Thanksgiving and overwinter them. The wrinkle seeded cultivars are not as hardy so I begin planting them in early February. That would include snap peas. I quit planting snow peas 50 years ago, but suspect that they also would overwinter nicely.
As for cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) I usually wait until around the first of May. They are a hot weather crop and I don't like them sitting in the ground shivering during a late cold spell. There are lots of Cream types available, my favorite of that type is Zipper.

Thanks Farmerdill :)
Okay, is the way to tell if they're wrinkle seeded just to look at them? I'll go read the packages, maybe that will help. They all seem to say plant as soon as ground can be worked. The ones I remembered as "cream peas" turn out to be labeled by the sender as "lady finger peas", so I'll see what I can find about them. Guess I might as well try the ones I've got that I should have planted in the fall, and then go on as you suggest. I'm also going to look for the Red Ripper(thanks GG)...sounds like fun:)

Darkmoondreamer, not to worry, I need (like a hole in my head) a source to search....*G*

margo

Farmer....do you just plant you peas close and let them intertwine? Or are those some kind of bush pea. I just dont like having to trellis things if there is another way.

Snow peas...your right...they are the flat ones. I dont grow those either...guess it was just a generic name to me. I too go with the snap ones, way more bang for your buck and they are just as sweet if not sweeter and stir fry like champs.

Cat. Willet Wonder and Alaska are about the only smooth seed English peas readily available. Laxton's Progress #9, Dakota, Green Arrow are good wrinkled seeded cultivars but ther are quite a few. Smooth seeded are round and hard like little marbles. You can plant them in February, overwintering just gives a little head start for an earlier harvest. Lady peas are small round white cowpeas. A similar type is White Acre. They are very good, a little tedious to shell. I grow about 6 different kinds of cowpea each year. Only one I have grown and disliked was the Grey Crowder ( often sold nowadays as Blue Goose)
Glory. I don't plant any Type of pea that I have to trellis. I have in the past but I have gotten old and lazy and try to avoid work. I drill English peas (mechanical planter) at one inch interval in twin rows 8 inches apart. About two feet between the twin rows so I have room to pick them. I f I am not planting a lot I may just put down 4 rows 8 - 10 inches apart. I f I can reach halfway across I cn pick them if I have room alongside the bed.

peas are cold weather crop here in canada we plant the seeds as soon as soil is workable they will come up when ready they are not affected by frost only snow and I usually plant at intervals of two weeks for longer supply since I really like peas I grow snow peas and sweet snap and regular peas it is great since the snow peas are ready
two to three weeks before the sweet snap and then the regular is ready by putting in a few of each at two week intervals it makes for more peas for longer periode of time

mona

Farmer....do you not like crowder peas in general, or do you like crowders, and the geese just didnt do it for you

My Johnny's catalog under peas says of peas "First sowing in early spring as soon as soil can be prepared." Am I correct that frost is not a consideration? And, I also assume that preparing the soil is a common sense determination of when you can turn the soil over without it being solid or icy?

Jeff

Jeff, Exactly. For most of north America the ground freezes during the winter months. At the spring thaw it is very wet for a few days, As soon as the spring winds dry it sufficiently, it is time to plant English pea family and many other cool weather crops. Southern peas are a different story. They need good warm soil to emerge and grow. Here where the ground never freezes, we can plant English peas in late fall and overwinter them. Gain a couple of weeks at harvest, because they really don't grow much till late February- March.
Glory, I like most southern peas, the Grey has too strong a flavor for me. Some favorite crowders are Black Crowder, Collosos, Purple Knuckle Hull. Creams Zipper, and Texas Cream 40, Blackeye types, Purple Hull, Pinkeye, Quick pick, Big Boy,Holstien. White peas, White Acre, Lady

Black Crowder

Farmerdill,

Thanks for the information. It will help in deciding which seeds to purchase.

Jeff

Farmerdill I must be a lot older than you
I put everything that will grow on a trellis[actually cut saplings]
I would rather reach than stoop.,besides I have a fear of snakes
Gardenglory I do not remember moving
Red ripper is by far my favorite southern pea and I have grown at least 30 dif.in my 60 years of gardening

Ahhhh Hemental. There is the DG'r I was talking about that turned me on to the red rippers!!

Hi there!!! Hahahaha ok...so I gave you a vacation home. None- the- less...those were some good peas you turned me onto...and I certainly will be planting again this year!

This message was edited Jan 10, 2009 9:20 AM

so I guess you would not want to come and visit with me last year we had so many snakes since it rained most of the time so everything was wet and they got to be a pest found one sunning against my garage door, when I opened it he came at me he was about four feet long my husband ran into the house and left me to deal with it so being canadian lol I grabbed the hockey stick and sent it flying it was a goal. hahahah
say at least 3 dozen in the spring alone.

mona