Kitchen Garden Forum

I have sown overwintering peas into 3" pots in my coldframe to protect them from mice.

They are now 2" tall. Should I now transplant them to my allotment and protect with wire and fleece or leave them in their pots in the coldframe?

If I leave them in their pots in the coldframe do they need their tops pinching out and how should I look after them for the rest of the winter?

KATE
I have put my peas out they looked strong enough to look after themselves, they are covered by netting "the stuff they use on building sites" this will give them protection from the frost and pigeons, dont know about pinching the tops out I have never done this to eating peas only sweet peas.

I'm glad you asked this as I'm in a very similar position with my Broad Beans.

I've just brought them out of the (unheated) greenhouse to acclimatise in our back garden. I wanted them to get used to outside conditions before the mild weather finished. However this is my first experience of planting very young stuff out into what could be covered with ice & snow in a few weeks time.


Colin

Paul - Thank you, I will do as you suggest I think they will probably stand a better chance on the allotment than in the coldframe. I will cover them with chicken wire and then fleece to protect them from the mice and elements. I will be interested to know if both your and my peas survive the winter.

Colin - I always sow my broadbeans direct in November and then a second sowing in March, no protection except chicken wire to keep the pigeons off. I sow aquadulce, the variety recommended for autumn sowing. Having said that my soil is light and sandy but apart from a few losses due to mice the plants are usually ok.

Thank you both, I'll keep you posted

Kate

Hi Guys

I promised to keep you posted on how my overwintering peas survived.

Well I put them onto the allotment and covered them with fleece. I uncovered them the week before Easter and gave them proper supports and they are doing fine.

I have lost just a few to mice, nibbled off at ground level, but the others are now a good 5" tall and growing well.

Thank you for your advice. I will see how they crop but will definately try overwintering them again.

Colin - how are your broadbeans? My autumn sown ones are in flower, I have now but in a second sowing for a later crop.

Kate

allotmentkate wrote:Colin - how are your broadbeans? My autumn sown ones are in flower, I have now but in a second sowing for a later crop.

Hi Kate - gosh, has this thread really been going since 2005?

I can't remember what happened to my original broad beans, but didn't end up with any....

I sowed some more at the end of 2006 and have a few mangy plants still there. They haven't thrived though.

However I did have luck with peas:
- In 2006 I planted both Sugar Snaps and Mange Touts (never tried peas before this) and they each did really well.
- I started some ordinary peas indoors at the end of 2006 and planted them out a few weeks back when they were about 4 inches high. Initially I left them under fleece tunnels but they've been out in the open for a week and look fine.

All the best for 2007,

Colin