growing sugar snap peas question
 

So I buy bags of sugar snap peas from Trader Joe's every week and wanted to put some in the garden. Is it possible to just pluck the peas out of the snap peas and plant them?

The snaps would have to completely mature/dry on the vine for the seeds to be viable.

oh darn! Thanks for the info.

I have grown mature pea seeds that are still green. They do not have to dry.

[QUOTE][I]Is it possible to just pluck the peas out of the snap peas and plant them?[/I] [/QUOTE]
Try it. You could quickly become the expert on this.

Give it a try. The seeds might already be viable... Just take them out of the pod and plant them immediately... My experience is that seeds become viable long before they become mature.

Thank you! I will try it. There are quite a few seeds that seem very large so at least they look like they've developed to full size.

Yeah, i've heard that you can plant peas strait from the pod while green. Let us know if it works for you!

I've often had peas sprout in the pod after a day of rain, so chances are that some might grow. Look for faded, bulging pods, which would be the most mature.

Every year i cannot grow enough for the table. We eat right out of the garden fresh and hope
for more saved for a meal...you can poke some back into the soil. I have so many varieties going in succession over a 6 week early Spring planting along a long row that i am happy with that....weeks of early peas. Then start other varieties right next to them...
All different and different growing needs. Lower in the row are dwarf purple snow peas last season and a dwarf grown for shoots. (use that lower space to try new ones!). Rotation of crops even in small gardens is a rotation of garden harvest bounty. Just keep all fed and peas are fine grown really tight together.

Early peas can be started very close together. Packed an inch apart in three tight rows.
(one of the only that like that)

How tall does Oregon Giant Snow Pea grow?
 

There seems to be confusion whether Oregon Giant is a bush plant or a climbing plant. One vendor says vine is 30" with or without support, a second vendor recommends staking the intermediate 3–4' vines and a forum post refers to it as a Bush. I grew what was said to be Oregon Giant Snow Pea for the first time this winter. It has done very well for me and climbed a trellis and is 6' tall. I'm asking because I would like to know what I have before reordering.
Thanks

I never even knew there was such a thing as a bush snow pea. I've grown Oregon Giant several times and they are climbers. Have some now in fact. They are over 6ft now, the constant rains this winter sure helped.

I always select varieties of all peas that are 24" tall because I do not want climbers.

[QUOTE=peebee;623773]I never even knew there was such a thing as a bush snow pea. I've grown Oregon Giant several times and they are climbers. Have some now in fact. They are over 6ft now, the constant rains this winter sure helped.[/QUOTE]
peebee,
Thanks for your response.
My Oregon Giants are still producing but probably not for much longer. Here is a post to a small snow pea trial that is interesting.
[URL="http://www.ozgrow.com/index.php?topic=11933.0"]http://www.ozgrow.com/index.php?topic=11933.0[/URL]
I hope to grow Oregon Giant again next season and also give Mammoth Melting Sugar a try as well.
Larry

[QUOTE=brownrexx;623828]I always select varieties of all peas that are 24" tall because I do not want climbers.[/QUOTE]

My garden space isn't too large so I try to squeeze as much in as possible, therefore, that includes going higher. When my pole beans give up next Winter I may try some Green Beauty Snow Peas in their place. Green Beauty is said to grow up to 8' tall.
If anybody has tried them, it would be interesting to hear your results.
Larry

I have grown Green Beauty for 2 years now and they are wonderful. Large, sweet and juicy. Well, juicy as a pea can be. I'm not planting anything different now. :yes:

[QUOTE=BettyC-5;624794]I have grown Green Beauty for 2 years now and they are wonderful. Large, sweet and juicy. Well, juicy as a pea can be. I'm not planting anything different now. :yes:[/QUOTE]
Thanks much for the feedback. Given your experience I definitely plan to try them next season.
Larry

I've never grown Oregon Giant. But considering i already grow and am breeding with 17+ varieties of peas i suppose maybe i should finally try them. Never heard of a bush version as i've only heard them described as 6ft.

I grew Green Beauty last year. I can't remember if it did well or not. I don't think it did that well, but neither did the other large podded peas (Carouby de Massane and Bijou). But i did save seeds, so whatever did the best of all three of those got mixed together. I don't think they got anywhere near 8ft though, maybe 4ft. But i don't live in the moist Oregon climate they were bred in either. I live at high altitude dry air Colorado instead, so that might be why.

Many of my pea varieties reach 6ft. Biskopens is one that might reach 8 though. But it is a monk style soup pea. Hoping to breed it to something else. Sugar Magnolia might also reach 8ft, not sure. It does well for me despite it also being bred in Oregon. It's a purple snap pea. Probably the only Snap variety that actually does well for me. All the others just die. Especially Amish Snap.

[QUOTE=Keen101;624834]I've never grown Oregon Giant. But considering i already grow and am breeding with 17+ varieties of peas i suppose maybe i should finally try them. Never heard of a bush version as i've only heard them described as 6ft.

I grew Green Beauty last year. I can't remember if it did well or not. I don't think it did that well, but neither did the other large podded peas (Carouby de Massane and Bijou). But i did save seeds, so whatever did the best of all three of those got mixed together. I don't think they got anywhere near 8ft though, maybe 4ft. But i don't live in the moist Oregon climate they were bred in either. I live at high altitude dry air Colorado instead, so that might be why.

Many of my pea varieties reach 6ft. Biskopens is one that might reach 8 though. But it is a monk style soup pea. Hoping to breed it to something else. Sugar Magnolia might also reach 8ft, not sure. It does well for me despite it also being bred in Oregon. It's a purple snap pea. Probably the only Snap variety that actually does well for me. All the others just die. Especially Amish Snap.[/QUOTE]
Keen101,
Great pea information. I've tried snap peas but never had much success in my challenging environment, but it looks like Sugar Magnolia just may work for me. I definitely will be giving it a try. I may try Biskopen as well.
Thanks,
Larry

Oregon Sugar Pod II Snow Pea is said to be a non climbing dwarf, which reaches 30" high. Sounds like a bush plant to me. Said to be highly disease resistant and very productive but at the same time said to require successive planting for extended harvest. It sounds like it would probably work in my tough environment and may try it sometime in the future, when I get tired of climbing up step ladders. :lol:

[QUOTE=Zeedman;607184]I've often had peas sprout in the pod after a day of rain, so chances are that some might grow. Look for faded, bulging pods, which would be the most mature.[/QUOTE]

When it comes to legumes , Mr. Zeedman is my authority. No kidding.

Yeah , look for bulging, not-so-green and tough pods.
But pea seeds are not that expensive to buy. I have bought a packet and only used half of it. I guess I am going to put the rest in my soup. :lol:

Today i planted all my breeding peas. Boy there were quite a lot of seeds actually! Here's hoping i get a really nice crop of seed back that i can finally start sharing with those i promised or shared seed with me years ago.

17+ varieties i think.

Purple Pod Parsley & Calvin Lamborn's "Snap Greens"
Virescens Mutante
Sugaree & Sugar Lace II
Orc gene peas
Sugar Magnolia [2015]
Opal Creek [2015]
Mummy's (Mummy-Pea, Salmon-flowered, Mummy White, and segregating F2 crosses)
F1 Cross between Purple Passion and Mighty Midget
Orange-Pod
Mighty Midget
Purple Passion
Biskopens (aka Sweedish Red)
Joseph's Red Podded & Joseph's Yellow Podded
Purples
Dwarf Gray Sugar
Large Podded (Bijou, Green Beauty, Carouby de Maussane)
Dwarfs (Dwarf Champion, Tom Thumb, etc.)

Keen101,
What a great project. I wish you the greatest success.
Larry

I read this thread and get the opinion that if I pick mature, bulging, green pods off of my Snow Pea plants and let the peas dry off the vine, the resulting peas will not be viable seeds for next season. Is that correct?
I’d like to pull the vines so I could grow a crop of Lima Beans in the space, before it gets too hot.
Thanks,
Larry

[QUOTE=Zone9b;627236]I read this thread and get the opinion that if I pick mature, bulging, green pods off of my Snow Pea plants and let the peas dry off the vine, the resulting peas will not be viable seeds for next season. Is that correct?
I’d like to pull the vines so I could grow a crop of Lima Beans in the space, before it gets too hot.
Thanks,
Larry[/QUOTE]

Technically Rebsie has stated that you can harvest mature peas from the pod while they are still green and plant them right away and get a second crop (or second generation if you are breeding them).

But maybe this link will answer your real question better:

[URL="http://daughterofthesoil.blogspot.com/2007/06/saving-peas-for-seed.html"]http://daughterofthesoil.blogspot.com/2007/06/saving-peas-for-seed.html[/URL]

In my experience you can and the peas will dry down fine. The biggest problem with harvesting vines and pods before they dry down naturally is they grow mildew fast. And the mold is what can ruin the peas. Best to shell them and spread the green peas out to dry at that point.

[QUOTE=Zone9b;627236]I read this thread and get the opinion that if I pick mature, bulging, green pods off of my Snow Pea plants and let the peas dry off the vine, the resulting peas will not be viable seeds for next season. Is that correct?
I’d like to pull the vines so I could grow a crop of Lima Beans in the space, before it gets too hot.
Thanks,
Larry[/QUOTE]

Ditto on Keen's comments. When wet weather threatens, I often harvest bean & pea pods which are not fully dry, to prevent losses due to spoilage. Last year was a wet one, probably 1/3 of my bean & pea seed was harvested that way (sometimes literally walking through the mud between storms to do so). Pods with ripe seed often change color or appearance, and become dull or translucent... but the best indicator of ripeness is to feel the section of pod between the stem and the first seed. When mature, this section will become soft & flexible, or feel leathery. (This is also the stage where shelly beans have their best color.)

As a rule, I try to dry ripe pods indoors before shelling, unless they were already wet when harvested. It is my opinion that the seeds will continue to draw nutrients from the pod as it dries. Regardless of whether 'green' seed is dried in the pod or shelled first, good air circulation is a must to reduce the chance of mold or mildew. I dry mine under a ceiling fan, in an air conditioned room. I'm assuming that in central Florida, central air is fairly common. ;) Dry the pods in a single layer, and watch carefully for signs of mold.

Pods which were harvested before fully ripe may still have viable seed, but the storage life will be less than normal, perhaps a lot less. I would recommend that such seed - after being properly dried - should be stored refrigerated, in an air-tight container.

Keen101 and Zeedman,
Thanks for all the great information. I will try saving some of the seeds for use this November. I didn’t think I could grow peas here successfully until I grew Snow Peas this winter. I’m really looking forward to next season to grow even more. They go so well with my other vegetables, mainly Broccoli, Kale and Snap Beans.
Oh, and yes Zeedman the AC is running a bit more each day as the weather warms up. It’s hard to imagine living in Florida without AC, but I guess they used to do it. Folks must have been tougher back then. :lol:
Larry

Thanks to this thread I am now growing Mammoth Melting Sugar Snow Peas instead of Oregon Giant. MM Sugar has worked very well for me.

mammoth melting sugar and oregon sugar pod 2
 

I have grown both MMS and OSP2 multiple years. When trellised with 5' oregon sugar pod II easily fills it. They it also does 2 peas per node, or something like that. They are a nice snow pea, and we still had some buried in the freezer that we ate this month.

Mammoth melting sugar will grow higher than the 5' trellis netting, and faster. I would say the production is sparser, but the actual peas are larger.

They both taste good and I will grow both again. I can buy the OSP2 in large quantities for cheap, so I never save seed. Last year I had enough seed for only about 3 foot of mammoth melting sugar, so I let some dry out for seed. This year I planted that seed in about 10 feet of single row and put my CRW pea trellis over it. The wire's top grid is 5-1/2 ft, so some stalks are up to 6-1/2'. This pic is from today, June 9th, and they are about ready for a first picking.


I have cherry tomatoes growing on the morning sun side behind them, so I will try to save some of this seed in the form of finished pods, picked, to save for seed. But I will also leave one end unpicked as a hedge. Most of the row will be taken down for tomato growth, so it can't stay up for fully drying out.

Wonderful thread with very useful info about saving/replanting peas!:)
I have planted a bunch of different varieties this year, some of which were saved at least two years or more ago. I soaked overnight and they all appeared to be viable.
Yakoma Giant is a very large snow pea with purple flowers iirc and reddish brown seeds. They were planted late last time and didn't produce many before the end of season, so I'm really hoping my few seeds will come on so I can save more this time. We often have wet cold weather at the end of season so it's great to have the option of drying them out of pod if mildew is a present threat. Also planted lots of Golden Sweet which is a personal favorite, they produce over such a long season. I have a row of Norli which were saved in 2014 - there were a couple left over and they quickly put on longer sprouts so it seems they kept fine even for five years. :surprised:
And I have a few Blue Bantam, Early Frosty and Little Marvel put in, from swap (undated) but looking alive.
Bigger question now is whether the continuing cold and wet weather will do any harm. I sure hope not! I read somewhere that the red/brown seeded peas, which have colored flowers, are also more tolerant of planting in cold soil. That would be a big incentive for me to save and maintain those varieties, as cold and wet is much the rule.

I have a few more types of peas that I may find a spot for before I'm done, mostly old commercial source peas which I had doubts would be still viable. :?!?: I think I'll soak first just to see if there's a sign of life. I don't even know how old they are anymore.