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Old July 26, 2011   #1
biscgolf
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Default pea shoots

anyone else grow pea shoots? if so, what variety of pea do you use? i have always used dwarf grey sugar but am having supply problems. thanks.
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Old July 26, 2011   #2
Wi-sunflower
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I started doing them this spring too. They are generally a good seller when I have them.

I also use the Dwarf grey Sugar. I get them from Jordan Seeds in the Minn area.

Because of the hot weather the last month I switched doing the sprouts and shoots from flats and cutting them at the market (wilted right away) to the 1801 pots and selling them in the pots just like the cat grass. That way the customers cut them FRESH as they need them.

Carol
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Old July 26, 2011   #3
JackE
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Cat grass, pea shoots??? Man, I thought I knew everything about gardening LOL - but I ain't never heard of stuff like that! LOL -- Probably 'cause I live in a "backward" area.

Since you only get one shoot per pea, seems like the seed would cost more than you what you get for the little shoot. I've never understood how they made money on "bean sprouts" either - it would take a pound of beans to make 1/2# of sprouts, wouldn't it?

Jack
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Old July 26, 2011   #4
Granite26
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Wow...new to me but sounds cool. Carol I like the idea of the pots as it sounds like they dont keep well if cut. Tell us more! How dense do you plant them in pots? Also if you are willing to share...what are you able to sell these pea shoot pots for?
Thanks!
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Old July 26, 2011   #5
biscgolf
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pea shoots actually keep almost indefinitely if you can keep them cool and in plastic bags- i sell them out of a cooler at the market.

as far as the cost of growing them goes:
i plant 25 or so trays a week, using maybe 2 cubic feet of soilless mix and maybe 3.5 pounds of seed (trying to overestimate here)

cost:
soilless mix @$10
seed@ $5

yield is generally between 5 and 6 pounds. i get $7/half pound for the pea shoots for a conservative gross of $70.

growing time is 10-14 days depending on season. greenhouse heat is an additional cost in the winter time. labor is about 1 minute per tray to plant and the same to cut. watering takes maybe 20 minutes a day for 500 trays or so of all the micros i grow.

imo pea shoots are possibly the most cost effective item i grow. they are far and away the most hassle free micro i grow.
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Old July 28, 2011   #6
Wi-sunflower
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Sounds like you don't soak the peas before seeding.

I've been using info from a site called "sprout people". They just happened to be sellers at the same market I do, Madison. I found them when looking for info on wheatgrass as used for juicing. They recommend soaking to the point of nearly already sprouting. I don't do that much tho.

I do plant the cat grass as heavy as I did the wheatgrass so it can be used either way. I sell the 1801 for just $1. Same for the pea shoots.My guesstimate of peas seeds is about 1 lb of seeds for a flat. I use about 2.5 cups +- of wheat seed / flat.

The cat grass takes about 7 -10 days depending on the weather and the peas about 2 weeks or a bit more. By then the pot of peas should have over an ounce of the shoots or a bit more. I was selling them for $1 / ounce when I cut them.

For me the easiest and most cost effective is the radish sprouts. I use about 3 ounces of seed / flat and they are ready in less than a week.

I'm still very new at all the sprout stuff so I'm open to any and all suggestions as I learn what works for me here. Some of the other micros I've tried haven't sold well at all. But I think I missed the best market timing of early spring, before any field stuff is around. I think they will do well again this fall / winter when fresh green stuff is dead outside.

One thing I had to do is make a cage in my greenhouse to keep the flats of seeded stuff in. It's 2 shelf racks wrapped in chicken wire fencing. This was necessary because Racoons were coming in the greenhouse at nite and digging up the pots and ruining them.

Carol
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