Heirloom Shelling Peas
 

Well, my fall garden is looking great and I'm already eating radishes and turnip greens. While I wait for everything else out there, I figure I might as well start planning my spring garden.

I have seed for two pea varieties, Lincoln and Thomas Laxton. I have not grown either in the past. In fact, it's been several years since I've grown shelling peas at all. I've been growing snow peas and sugar snaps in recent years but my husband would like some plain old garden peas. I've Googled Lincoln and I keep reading that they do well in heat but are only recommended for the North??? If you've grown either or both, no matter where you live, I'd like to hear your opinions. I suppose I could plant both but I'd like everything ready to pick at once. Thanks for sharing any of your growing/eating experiences with these two peas.

When are you growing your snow peas, and sugar snap peas? Should be able to plant English peas such as Thomas Laxton, Green Arrow, etc. at the same time. In zone 8/9 Houston, that's December 7-January 21st.

Feldon,

I'll be starting a little earlier than usual next year, around Valentine's Day. I used to always wait until the forsythia was blooming, and around here, that's almost always the same week as St. Patty's Day. However, this coming year, I'll be using one bed for peas, then for green beans and lima beans, and then the cabbage family at the end of the summer. Since I'll be using this one bed for so many things, I'd like to start earlier this time. I've grown Green Arrow, which you mentioned. I think that was actually the last garden pea I grew.

I have grown Lincoln before...I am in the north, and it gets hot here, but they performed poorly...Beans and peas have never performed here like they have in other areas I have lived, but Lincoln was memorably worse than most...Not sure if that has any relevance or not for you where you garden.........


Jeanne

Thanks, Jeanne. Anybody else?

These aren't on you list, but I planted Purple-podded shelling peas from SSE this year. I liked the flavor and the colored pods add some decorative interest. I'll plant them again next year.

You have not mentioned Alderman/Tall Telephone, another great shelling variety. Its vines (as its name suggests) are quite tall, and the peas are tasty. Some heirloom seed catalogs still carry it.

GTG

Thanks for the replies. I thought about Alderman but thought I'd have the same problem I had with Amish Snap and that's that the supports I use aren't tall enough. My pea fences are about thirty inches. That's not tall enough for Alderman, is it? I have taller supports but I'll be using them for other veggies before the peas are finsihed. I'm trying to avoid buying any more supports. We have one vote against Lincoln so I might just go with Thomas Laxton. Thanks again!

Glad you guys like peas - so do I.
Couple of quick questions:

1.
How early can you plant these peas ?
In say a zone like mine when the last frost is in between April 15 - April 30 ?

2.
How do you fix your soil after every season?

3.
Do you guys plant in full sun ?

4.
Fall crop. Plant peas Aug. 15 for Oct. harvest ?

5.
Fertilizer ? Oraganic ?

Thanks ~

Tom

My last frost is usually between April 1 and April 15. I have always planted in March but I'm going to try Feb. this time. I'm just going by that Mid Atlantic growing chart in the Southern Exposure catalog. It says as early as Feb. 15 for my area so I may as well try it. If they don't come up, I'll just do it again in March, I think.

I don't actually "fix" my soil so much as I just get in there and yank everything out. I add a two inch layer of compost before I plant something else and my beans go in the same spot when the peas are done, so same family.

I get about eight hours of sun in this location.

I've tried growing in the fall and have not had much luck. I just stick to spring now, and peas really do seem like a springtime food to me. The cabbage family seems like fall to me, so that's what I grow this time of year. Where you live you might have an easier time growing in the fall though.

In addition to that layer of compost, I use a legume inoculant with both peas and beans. When they begin to flower, I'll usually give them a drink of this stuff called Age Old Bloom. Since they're not in the garden that long, I only give this to them once.

Oh, and yes, the Age Old Bloom is organic.

Thanks for the info Michele !

~ Tom

I am thrilled to see that Green Thumb Girl mentioned Alderman/Tall Telephone. I am considering purchasing seed from a breeding program of what I believe to be a Sport of Alderman?? I was just about to put in a post asking what the members here thought of this particular old variety when I found this post. Thanks..I think I will proceed with said Pea purchase. :)

shelleybean,

Looking back at this thread, I'm surprised your zone 8 is that much different from my zone 9a.

Houston planting date for English shelling peas is late December to mid-January.

But I don't know the severity of your freezes. Soil temp is a handy indicator of when to plant.

Using the coastal planting chart in the SESE catalog, they say I should plant my peas between Feb. 15 and April 15 but I don't think I could get away with planting shelling peas in April here. It just gets too hot too fast. I ended up planting in March, as always. My peas are about three inches tall right now and should top out around five feet. The farmer's markets here always have peas in May so I'm guessing those peas are planted in March too.