Solar🌄Garden

Taking inspiration from self-sown specimens, I started these snap-peas -- 3rd generation saved, unknown var. -- in early autumn, in situ, amid deep crushed sweetcorn debris, no clearing. The only thing cleared was the wire pig/badger fence when the peas started to go UP it. Whereas I want them to form a low-maintenance, easy-pick CASCADE down towards the path below the terrace. As they did themselves from a compost heap 2 years ago nearby.

Last year, I started them in pots and transplanted them out about now, fraction of the size, and within a few weeks all eaten by slugs. Lesson learned. Their stems are too woody now, and they did their establishment while too cold for slugs.
#peas #growYourOwn

Mar 9 at 5:46pmWeb
Show threadSolar🌄Garden3d ago

#peas as a #growYouOwn #gardening crop

Until recently, never bothered much with peas, bcs
[1] they used to play havoc with my digestion
[2] they're such niggly things to harvest
[3] niggly things to pod
[4] untidy, sprawling things in their bed.

But since discovering..
[1] some seed
[2] how they managed themselves if growing in an unmanaged area,
[3] ways of eating them that are perfectly digestible,
[4] they're very good source of protein, enough so to be in powder form on "health-food" and "bodybuilding" shelves, and hence
[5] satisfying in the same way as heavier protein
... I've been really enjoying growing them!

The first autumn sowing in the "pea cascade" ⬆️ post is now fizzling-out, due to it being too hot/dry up there, while an April-ish sowing I did is now producing well in a cooler spot with shading near a sprinkler

but picking and podding a useful-protein size portion ~200g - is optimistically taking about 20 minutes.

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Anyone got neat solutions to either of these time-consuming problems for one with too much to do?
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Show threadSolar🌄Garden3d ago
incidentally, I'm stratifying some of this spring's dried crop, with the hope of getting an productive autumn crop, if I can nurse the plants through the summer. Anyone tried this?
Show threadkelleynnn3d ago
@wavesculptor There are pea shelling machines that work kind of like old grinders, you clamp them to the table and turn the crank. I've never tried one.
Show threadRancho de la Libertad3d ago
@wavesculptor I'm not sure but if someone comes in with a great solution I hope I see it! This year our peas produced fairly well for it being our first year with peas, but it would be like a dozen pods at a time on a few plants which meant I never really had enough to make a proper meal requiring peas and it was still time consuming to prep the few I was able to toss in some carbonara or whatever!
Show threadâ—Ź12h ago
@wavesculptor The variety we're growing has edible pods, which we love, so I probably won't shell many. Yours looks to be flourishing and is further along in the growth cycle than ours. Lovely. 🌱 I hope you can find a good balance between harvest and prep. If I come across helpful info about that I'll let you know 🫛
Show threadCrow3d ago
I’m trying pigeon peas this year, and from everything I’ve read they avoid many of the problems you mention. Tall, upright habit.

Fingers crossed!