Green peas... on a bit larger scale...

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Deer Lodge, Tennessee
I always grow green peas. They're just something we love to eat so I grow 'em. And I think we could sell some of 'em if we had enough. I didn't plant enough this year to sell (had a few to give away to a few people, but not enough to sell, plus put a bunch in the freezer).

I've grown short varieties that you don't stake, just let them run on the ground. I've grown a couple of varieties that get somewhere between 3' and 4' tall. We grew Lincoln peas this year, which are around 3.5', I think. We do like the flavor.

The thing I'm wondering about, though, is how to plant them to economize on the picking of them. This year, we planted a double row (maybe 8" or so apart) with a 4' chicken wire fence in between them. My dear wife laid down the seed and she made them pretty thick. They produced well, but... they're thick enough that they're a pain to pick and they're easy to miss when they're up close to the fence.

So I figured maybe I'd ask you all whether you have an idea of a better way to plant so that they're easy to pick. That's the bottleneck. Same method but thinner? Single rows but more like a cattle panel type fence (bigger openings)? Taller variety on a taller fence? Or somethin' else?

Generally, we do get 5 or so pickings off of them. I suspect that commercially, they'd rather grow something they can pick once, pick them all, and be done with them. I have never grown a variety that ripens all its peas at one time, if such exists. We start out pretty well with that first picking, but digging around lookin' for peas, we usually disturb the tendrils holding the vine to the fence and by about the 5th picking, half of them have quit even trying to hold onto the fence. Might be that they're too thick.

So whatcha think? I know it sounds like we haven't a clue. But honestly, it gets a little better every year we try. But we haven't "arrived". LOL!! And I suspect others have methods that they like that work well for them. Figured maybe someone might be willin' to share their secrets. :)
 
Gonna follow this closely. We love peas, never tried green peas, but do grow snow peas. I have ran into some of the same issues. I do think planting thinner will help. I haven't decided on a support method. We grow ours in raised beds, so have options.
 
I've planted a double row like you mentioned - not sure how far apart they were. I don't measure, just eye it. As far as easier picking, do you have any 5-6 year olds running around. They are so much closer, wouldn't have to bend far. Sorry, that's all I've got.
 
No grands around to call into service. But I like the idea. :D

On a more serious note, I have been thinking about something I saw in a magazine somewhere that I thought might just work well. It was what looked like a mechanic's stool only it had rubber wheels on it (air filled, if I remember) that rotated in such a way that you would sit on it facing whatever you're picking and the wheels would turn such that you could just motor on down the row without having to stand up. I like that idea quite a lot as I have found that I tend to pick peas sitting on a bucket rather than bent over.

I know this is politically incorrect as it comes, but a friend of mine was over to visit, and old dude, and his comment was, "You need a Mexican. They'll work for you until they figure out they'll make more at McDonalds." But in all seriousness, it is getting to be a bigger operation so I do need to think about doing things efficiently and effectively getting things done.
 
I just built a crude a-frame out of saplings at both end of a raised ben then stung twine (jute?) along the bottom and the top. Then I ran twine between the top and bottom lines for the snow peas to grow up.

Harvesting was dirt simple. My departed mother's best friend showed up as the the snow peas were ripening and was excited when she saw them. I told her she could have as many as she wanted. She took all of them. Being a naturalized Japanese national and pushing 80+ she was able to harvest all of them lickety split. We did sample some mind you.

It was a good deal for us. She makes a point of collecting chestnuts for The Princess every year and we are in her debt.

I know too much info.

:rolleyes:

Ben
 
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