Sugar Snap Peas...

[Adenn1]

Very nice Feldon...good eating! I went out to my peas and found that many had been dug up...probably those darn tree rats. Will put some more in...

[duajones]

looking good, I may try growing some next spring

[feldon30]

Shelleybean,

They were easy to grow in my garden. I'd give em a shot! Just improve the soil, plant bush vars, and water well. They do the rest.

Of course if I wanted to get a larger crop in small space, I'd grow trellised (pole) varieties. But that takes a bit of work.

In N. Houston (Zone 8b/9a), we can start sugar snap/snow peas December 7th through January 21th. Duane, since you're a bit warmer climate (9b/10a?), I'd sow seeds December 14th. I think I started mine early January which was a tad late but it was just frigid outside! Next year I will probably start mid-December so maybe they'll be done and ready to pull in mid-March when I am wanting to plant bush beans or some other crop.

I can buy bagged sugar snaps and snow peas at the grocery store, so really I was growing them for the curiosity of it, and because it makes a good rotation crop since it actually improves the soil, and the because ones at the store are kinda pricey.


Because I don't have enough projects I am thinking of a small garden bed in the front of the house with brightly painted timbers that will house decorative vegetables. I'd start with sweet peas with different colors, perhaps a cherry tomato plant, decorative but useful pepper varieties, clearly labeled hot (picante) and sweet in English and Spanish, and some herbs that the local ethnicities of our community would appreciate.

[shelleybean]

The snap and snow peas you grow at home are SO much better than the ones you buy in the bag. It's worth it. Enjoy! I'll have to wait a few weeks to pick mine.

[feldon30]

Had a whole mess (still not sure the exact quantity that is) of snow peas tonight from the garden (a generous portion for 2 people). They are definitely sweeter and tastier than the ones from the bag.

Growing peas this year was just a curiosity and I am very happy with the results. But I'm getting the typical bush-style production where you get most of your peas/beans in one big 2 week long harvest and then they're pretty much over with. Next year I will switch to climbing-style snow peas to get a longer, heavier harvest. Have to build a trellis.

[feldon30]

3/30 crop


4/2 crop (yes there were strawberries, but that's another picture)

This is out of a 4' x 4' growing area. I have gotten over 3 quarts of snow peas in less than 2 weeks and there are still more on the plants. Meanwhile, the sugar snaps are starting to come in. And this is all on bush varieties. Pole varieties would be much more productive over a longer period of time.

I have to say, peas and beans may be "boring" compared to tomatoes, but they can be very productive, reliable, and the flavor is noticeably better than store bought.

My beans are all up now. I planted 3 varieties and staggered them a bit. I'm thinking that if someone played their cards right, it should be possible to have non-stop legumes from February through June in Houston with staggered planting of shelling peas, snow peas (bush or pole), sugar snaps (bush or pole), then bush beans, and finally pole beans. And that's not to mention shelling beans like Rattlesnake, Dragon's Tongue (great as a fresh or dried bean) which can go through July.

[angelique]

Wow Feldon, those look great. I grew a dwarf variety (can't remember which type). I had to pull most of the plants up, because they were crowding in my tulips and daffodils.

I love them cooked. I only had a chance to try 'em raw. The doggies absolultely went bonkers over the snow peas. Next year, I'll have to grow some just for them.

[shelleybean]

Yum, yum, yum! Good job, Feldon! I only grew sugar snaps this year. Now I wish I'd squeezed in a few snow peas, too.

[garnetmoth]

need any help harvesting those Feldon?!

I bought a big bag of sale seeds (1lb) from Parks last year, I think they are sugar star .... not as sweet as other sugar peas ive grown, but tasty when fully plump, and sweeter with a touch of cooking.

I have some old 3-panel hinged tomato cages- I just unhook them and dig them into the soil- 2 cages hold up my spring snap peas. (theyre a bit too small for most tomatoes.) Peas are done by the time i really need to install them on tomatoes!

I heart legumes!

[nctomatoman]

Another good use of peas - at the Asian section of the Farmer's Market, they often sell, in the spring, section of pea vines, bound together in a bunch. You chop them into small segments and briefly stir fry them as a green, and their light sweet pea flavor is delicious! I have no idea if it is young pea plants only that are used, but it is worth planting a big bed just to get a taste of sauteed pea vines. I also have no idea if there is any variety specificity with regards to edibility.

[feldon30]

I've heard of using tender young pea shoots, but as my pea vines are now rather tuckered out, I'm guessing they would be pretty tough for this purpose?

After 2 weeks of big harvests (got another 2 cups yesterday), my snow peas are winding down and the sugar snaps are taking up the slack. Since you have to let sugar snaps mature longer on the vine (the peas are allowed to fill out, rather than picking them at an immature stage ala snow peas), it requires a lot more thumb pressure to pick them. It's been nice just pinching off the snow peas at the "knuckle" of the blossom stem. The sugar snaps, I almost need scissors to harvest them.

I really need to make a pair of fine mesh gardening slacks out of Remay so I can pick strawberries and snow peas without being eaten alive by mosquitoes. After all that unbelievably cold weather (over 20 days under 32 degrees, unheard of for Houston), I figured they'd be wiped out, but they're just as prolific as ever. Time for the harsh chemical sprays (I can hear o'nut weeping now).

I intend to build trellises and grow a pole variety of snow peas intermingled with some brassicas. I just have to arrange it so nothing gets shaded out.

[mresseguie]

Originally Posted by feldon30

I've heard of using tender young pea shoots, but as my pea vines are now rather tuckered out, I'm guessing they would be pretty tough for this purpose?

Hi, Feldon.

Without actually touching your vines, I can only guess, but the very top 4" to 6" of the vines should be tender enough to be eaten. Try a few at 6"; if they're too tough, try 4".

They are so yummy.

Michael

[Tormato]

Feldon,

Scissors only, here. I've damaged too many vines in the past by pinching. Also, once you get the hang of it, it's faster with the scissors.

Gary

[feldon30]

Thanks for the advice.

I'll have the last of the sugar snap crop in a few days. I will try the shoots. Will have to experiment on how long to steam them.

[gardenmaniac]

I have found out with a lot of experimenting that I can have peas fall, winter, and spring! I live in zone 8B so those of you in Houston (Feldon ) and the gulf coast might be able to do this too…

September 1 or as soon as you wake up one morning and feel “fall is coming” by a slight cooling down at night, plant a shelling pea like ‘wando’ that can take warmer (hot) temperatures. This planting usually produces peas for Thanksgiving. One more planting of this type could be made two weeks later, and then switch to only snow peas. I grow Oregon Sugar Pod II which grows very well for me. The deal is that when you get even a light freeze, the peas inside their pods are damaged and not edible. The vines have handled 19F so far. Through December and January, we might get on a weekly freezing cycle. With snow peas, you can pick the peas the night before a freeze and then repeat before the next freeze. You can get decent sized snow peas with five days of growing. Make sure you plant your sugar snaps for their normal time, but the snow peas can be sown every 2 or 3 weeks for a great winter of peas. The hard part is trying not to plant a lot for one sowing. This gives you a steady supply without a huge glut. As soon as they are finished producing, rip them out so they don’t have time to develop fungal issues as they naturally die.

By the way, snow peas chopped up are excellent in omelets, but not so great on pizza…

Tiffanie