That's a lot of peas and a spectacular list!

I planted Alaska and Sugar Snap peas yesterday. Much less impressive, lol!

I soak them in water overnight, then plant. Do you soak them before planting, too? I've wondered if we had a lot of moisture (not this year, certainly) if that would be necessary or if peas really need to imbibe moisture to germinate properly.

it shouldn't hurt unless it get really cold and they set there in it. But no i just direct seed mine dry and water from there or let the natural rain and or snow water it too. I just turned on a soaker hose today. Never tried a soaker hose with peas before, but i think it will work.

And hey peas are peas regardless of the name or quantity! Good for you! Peas are fun. i'm surprised more people don't plant them as much anymore. I guess microwaves have taken over

My trying to cover the bases of shell, snap, snow - pales by comparison, Keen'.

Fresh peas of any type are so easily prepared for the table that it doesn't take much fire-handling to add a delicious ingredient to a meal.

Are there other legumes on the list for 2017? Chick peas, lentils, adzuki, broad beans, soy, other beans?

Steve

Hi everybody!

Do you all use rhizobium for your peas? I haven't grown them before and the instructions I found highly recommended it, but I can't seem to find it in a "home garden" quantity (3–4 peas' worth). Anybody have any ideas (or rhizobium)?

Sorry, i've never used rhizobium before. In my experience peas do well just about anywhere, even in poor soil. They do prefer partial shade in our high elevation and dry climate however.

Ok, you got me. What peas would be good for a new-to-peas person? I live in Longmont.

Well Longmont is pretty much the same climate as here. Best varieties i can think of are: Sugar Magnolia and Dwarf Gray Sugar. maybe Carouby de Maussane. I have high hopes for Sugar Lace II, but this is the first time trying it. I've also heard a lot of praise for the Oregon ones like Oregon Sugar Pod II and Oregon Giant, but i have yet to try those yet.

Honestly just try some. Any generic type of shelling peas seem to do well. Try planting them in partial shade with a trellis if you can! Start planting them about now.

Just got my first outdoor-planted (3/26) pea sprout yesterday! I've never grown legumes of any sort before, so I'm excited. (I've also got some cowpeas and Anasazi starting indoors.)

When do they need support, and what kind of support is best? Guessing it depends on the type; my outdoor starts are Dwarf Grey Sugar.

Any advice is welcome!

I don't have a "favorite" trellis for peas, Oladon. That's because I have peas in beds, rotating around yearly. I don't remember when it wasn't that way.

I'll explain but here's my answer to the first part of your question. Get that trellis in place as soon as you see any vining. Peas grow in cool weather, at a time when you may not want to be in the garden every day. But, growing quickly - the tender vines become increasingly difficult to work with! Breakage occurs if the gardener isn't absolutely careful and vines that wander off and miss the trellis have defeated the purpose and bother of setting it up.

Beds are not the best place for peas. Maybe 18" wide beds would be fine but my 4' beds provide quite a lot of room for the mass of peas to entangle themselves.

Mostly, it works okay. The pea pods are mostly near the top and aren't terribly hard to find. The trellis has to be broad, because of the planting, and strong. Double row planting would likely be best but I don't do that. Keep in mind that peas are a low-production crop. Enjoy them but they cost you some bother.

Steve

I plant peas in a resin, half whiskey barrel pot. I put a small tomato cage in the center, then sow the peas next to the tomato cage wires, so they have something to grab onto once they get going.

I've had the experience digit describes, breaking the vines trying to train them. It's just easier to put the trellis in place first, then sow around the trellis. Since yours are already sown, try to come up with something you can get close enough for them to grab before the vines tangle into each other.

Thanks, both of you! They're pretty small so far, so I'll likely stick a tomato cage in the pot and let them grow up it. I did sow them in a rough circle, so hopefully they'll pick up on the cage pretty quickly.