It was in April when I bought a Multi pack of pea seeds, they were a bargain at 50p, I had planned to research what kind of peas to plant and then make my decision based on crop, and taste, but at 50p how could I fail.
The peas were simply marked Mange-tout, Early Onwards, and Hurst Green Shaft.
I planted the mange-tout directly in to the ground on an extremely hot day in April in small blocks, as the instructions assured me that they needed minimal support.
Within about 10 days the mange-tout had germinated. And that’s it, no cloche, no netting or protecting, the pigeons just don't seen interested. I have virtually ignored them, only to be rewarded by strong healthy plants and masses of sweet delicious peas.
I was however mislead about minimal support. I should have put in a much better support system, rather than placing the twigs from a recently pruned tree near the pea shoots, as these proved totally inadequate.
It doesn't really seem to matter because, although they look a bit of a tangled mess, the yield is still excellent and they just keep on coming.
I sowed the Early onwards a few weeks later, half the packet then the remaining after 10 days. This staggered planting hasn't made much difference as the weather was so appalling they germinated at the same time. Again the plants have flourished, I supported these well from the beginning and I have a lovely tidy row of peas and the pods are plumping up nicely.
I have not bothered planting the Hurst Green Shaft as I anticipate have plenty of peas and only limited freezer space.
