Kitchen Garden Forum

Quite a few of the pea pods in my row of peas which were sown from last year's saved peas have gone bent & crinkled, and are not filling with peas. Any idea what has caused this? They've been well watered since germination, so can't imagine it's lack of moisture.

Are the leaves affected too Primrose ?

Open some up & check for larvae.

Primrose, I found this list of pea diseases which may help identify your problem.

http://www.essentialgardenguide.com/gar ... ms/12/Pea/

I'm thinking on the same lines as the previous replies - a small bite from a sap sucker insect or similar can cause deformity if it is only the pods that are affected, but if the leaves are also deformed then it could be a virus and the plant should be removed.

Thanks NB - I checked this out and wondered whether it could be:

Problem: Pea Enation
Affected Area: Above ground portion of the plant

Description: This disease is characterized by plant distortion, as the plant is still young. As the plant grows and matures, it may take on symptoms of stunted plant growth, yellow flecks, leaf and pod distortion and reduced seed size and quality.

However, the plants and leaves are not distorted or yellowed, and there are no bugs inside the pods either although the peas are still tiny. Although they haven't grown to full size they look perfectly healthy. Shame to waste them so those that arn't worth shelling will be going to pea pod soup. Bit of a mystery as to what has caused it.

Might be sensible to obtain new seed next year Primrose, and plant in a new area, hopefully next year will be better.

Did you manure the.ground they're in?
If so could it be our old friend Aminopyralid?

Yes, I did dig in some bagged composted manure which I got from a garden centre and the thought did cross my mind but I was under the impression that the Aminopyralid problem was more connected with bulk manure, rather than the commercial bagged stuff. The same stuff has been dug into the location where my young courgette plants are, and they're looking very weedy, pale green and unhappy. Normally by now they would be racing ahead and a nice dark green colour. Can't be the cold nights or heavy rain because they've been protected under cloches.

Primrose,

I also put a bag of composted manure from the garden centre on the new raised bed.

My Petit pois peas Calibra have grown beautifully and have lots of pods but they are slow to fill out just like yours but some are starting to bulk up at last and I've had a few peas. The Sugar Ann peas in the same bed are podding nicely but only a few so far to eat. I guess it doesn't matter if these don't produce peas.

Maybe patience is called for if the plants still look ok.

Edited because forgot to say:- I have some reamining Calibra Peas in a large pot which are behaving exactly the same. The pot is filled with a Soil based compost and no manure