Fruit and Vegetables

Re: Pea trial

richardpeeej — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:33:25 GMT

Thanks for that Sue - the peas are still coming but not as quickly as before. I'll keep a few peas on the plant as you said and collect the seeds when the peas have just about finished. My dwarf french beans are just ready for the first picking - so that will be great.

Re: Pea trial

sue1002 — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:47:40 GMT

As long as you still have the flowers coming Richard, they will keep on producing. I think it also depends on when you sowed them too. My ones that have just finished were sown in early and late April.

Once the plants are finished with, they can be pulled up and composted (that's where mine will be going today).

Someone else will correct me if I am wrong but I think saving pea seeds will be the same as for beans - leave some pods on the plants until the pods go brown and dry out. Once they have dried out, the seeds can be removed from the pods and stored inside an envelope in a dry place.

Re: Pea trial

richardpeeej — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:49:26 GMT

I am not part of the seed trial as I didn't know anything about it when I joined the 'chats', but I am growing mangetout peas- I bought the packet from Asda. I have been picking them for about 2 or 3 weeks and still have some flowers and peas coming. Does anyone know how much longer they should last, what to do with the plants when they finish, and finally how I can save some pea seeds for next year (to save me buying any more)

Re: Pea trial

sue1002 — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:44:03 GMT

All my peas are finished now and the results have been emailed through with a picture of the different coloured mangetout flower that I posted on the thread before.

My favourite ones are the mangetout, they taste better than the others and were also less stringy. Another bonus was that we had more of a crop from them too.

The ones in windowboxes suffered too much damage from slugs, snails and pea moth and only weighed in at 8 grams per plant that germinated of the sugarsnaps and 6 grams per plant for the mangetout.

With the ones in raised beds we got 20 grams per plant that germinated on the sugarsnaps and 24 grams for the mangetout.

The figures don't sound a lot per plant but there were plenty of both kinds to be eaten and given away.

Re: Pea trial

Susiq — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:29:37 GMT

Yes, they do seem to just keep coming on and on! Not so with the sugar snaps tho'!

Re: Pea trial

sue1002 — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:13:21 GMT

I was going to pull up the plants from the first sowings at the weekend until I noticed the mangetout have benefited from the recent wet weather - lots more flowers appearing and a few little pods so I'm glad I didn't pull them up when I thought they'd finished

Re: Pea trial

Littleacorn — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:45:33 GMT

I have tried for the first time this year, freezing Mange Tout - not the ones from the trial , I already had some in, and had a bit of a glut. I have tried to freeze them whole while still flat and also when the peas have developed a bit more and these I cut lenth ways , neither was very successful, and could not be eaten as a stand alone veg, I did add some to a Thai Curry which were just passable but I won't be freezing again.

Re: Pea trial

Susiq — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:26:17 GMT

Same for me - have had loads more of the mangetout and prefer them by far - both flavour and texture-wise. I'm loathe to pull them out yet as there still seems to be more on the way. I'm not sure if they will blanche well for freezing as they are so delicate?

Re: Pea trial

BB — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:40:12 GMT

I am still picking both varieties (I have just had mangetout with my dinner) although the suagrsnaps are almost over I think. I need the space for cauliflowers so will be pulling them out at the weekend. I have found that they weren't stringless but I have had quite a few meals from them. Not as many as the mangetout however which are prolific and I have found I prefer them when left on for a little longer so that they are about 4" long and you can see the shape of the peas within. Those peas really add to the overall flavour so that is how I am now picking them. Still have masses. Mangetout my favourites.

Re: Pea trial

sue1002 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:24:14 GMT

Both the sugarsnaps and mangetout from the first sowings are now finished.

The sugarsnaps from the second sowing in windowboxes are now being affected with the pea moth caterpillars and the mangetout seem to be unaffected. The pods from the pink flowered plant on the mangetout are longer and thinner (widthwise) than all the others but taste exactly the same.

Re: Pea trial

lindylou — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:10:11 GMT

As Phots-moll and Susiq are sowing more I'll give them another go too. In my ignorance I thought they would go on all summer! I have pods on the mangetout now,no caterpillars but some leafminer damage. The mangetout look very healthy unlike the sugarsnaps one of which is looking decidedly yellow and sick.

Re: Pea trial

LisaH — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:28:03 GMT

I have just started to get pods on my sugar snaps and flowers on the mange tout :) These peas seem to have attracted lots of caterpillars, a burrowing leaf miner type thing and the slugs love the sugar snaps

Re: Pea trial

sue1002 — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:07:18 GMT

He doesn't like sweetcorn either BB, (too fussy if you ask me when it comes to a lot of veg), so more peas and sweetcorn just for me this year

Re: Pea trial

Phot's-Moll — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:35:37 GMT

I like a few mangetout mixed into a salad, stir fry, or steamed with a selection of other veg but I'm not so keen on a large portion of them on their own.

Re: Pea trial

BB — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:34:59 GMT

With regard to your OH not liking mangetout Sue 1002. Have you tried cutting them into smaller squares and cooking them along with carrots/sweetcorn/garden peas? That is how I trained my OH!! He is not very adventurous to say the least but he does now like them (without disguise)!