Kitchen Garden Forum

When I was looking after allotments in Hemel Hempstead many years ago, one of the allotmenteers always used to have these lovely rows of Peas. They were Hurst Greenshaft and growing them this year down here in South Wales they have convinced me that they are the one main crop to grow. But I have yet to find an early Pea about which I can say the same thing.

Any one any suggestions?

We've decided early podding peas are usually a disappointment so only grow mangetout Delikett early then a single sowing of Greenshaft to eat some and freeze most.

Sounds a bit like my experience! I tried Cash this year. Ok but nothing special and only a few pickings.

Last year I planted some early Pease in September (can't remember the name) they did not do much but I finished up with quite a few dried pods which I put in an old pot noodle pot were they shelled themselves about seven weeks ago I planted them I've now more Pease than ever that many I managed to get some off the plot and home which is unusual as they are normally eaten straight of the plant

this is the first time i have grown peas, can anyone tell me what the tiny little white grub with the little black head is please, plus how to treat them. thanks for any info. jeff

jeff64 wrote:this is the first time i have grown peas, can anyone tell me what the tiny little white grub with the little black head is please, plus how to treat them. thanks for any info. jeff

Probably pea moth.
Number of choices open to you for the future, including pesticide at early stages of flower

I would suggest that if you do a search on google for 'pea moth' it will give you some choices.

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To answer the original subject

Our best results over recent years has been 'Early Onward'
Not a large podded pea but tasty, as the birds would have testified before I net covered all the pea's

We have had our first peas Hurst Greenshaft which are always our main crop. Unfortunately, the second lot (Flavora) has been really badly attacked by house sparrows, not the sown peas, but the growing tips which are absolutely shredded. Because the allotments are rather remote and most of the time devoid of any people, the sparrows are having a field day on everybody's pea plants! We have tried netting them but the peas grow through the netting, of course. I think the only solution wold be to build a sort of fruit cage over the entire row!
Come to think of it, it would be useful to have the whole allotment covered with a cage to stop the sparrows, starling, pigeons, pheasants, partridges ........

if the whole allotment was covered in a net cage all year would you get a build up of insect pests that the birds would have normally eaten?


perhaps a curtain system like round hospital beds to control which bits birds can access on any one day.

Richard, you are right of course but because our allotments are completely surrounded by pastures for sheep and cows, we don't get many birds helping with insect control in any case. They just come to eat our produce! I was only joking about the net over the whole allotment, but it would save us a lot of trouble.

Hi,

So, I've started harvesting the peas. Sweet and delicious ...... here comes the BUT. In quite a few of the pods are small caterpillars munching on the peas (look more like caterpillars than grubs). Does anyone else have this and can I stop them? No obvious sign of damage to the pods so not sure how they are getting in there?

Thanks

Pawty

See Pa Snip above and https://www.mindenpictures.com/search/p ... 04065.html

Prime example Geoff, well found.

That's it! Thank you. Sorry, I missed the comment before. Jeff, you're not alone with these little pests!

Sounds like you spray the flowers just in case then? Is it very common? My pods showed no damage.

Thanks again.

Pawty

I've not got a problem with these and so haven't learnt how to deal with them I'm afraid.

Spraying is probably the most used method. There are also traps available.
Spraying now is not a good idea when pods are on the plants, best done earlier in the season.

I have only ever found a few on my crops that have ever been affected, not enough to worry about it.
Sounds as if you have mass infestation though.