Janet Galpin wrote:
I have only every grown early peas, in order to avoid pea moth
maggots.

I am wondering whether there is any point in trying maincrop peas
(perhaps tall ones) next season and wonder whether anyone has
successfully grown them without too much of a maggot invasion.
Presumably a fleece barrier would be no good because the flowers
wouldn't set. Are there any other organic solutions?

If your neighbours have found your area is specially prone to attack,
you can avoid it by sowing late as well as early -- the end of April,
maybe? I don't think mesh or fleece will interfere with cropping,
though. Derris in an emergency.

But in West Wales I never took precautions and never had a problem: a
few peas had to be chucked out for one reason or another, but you'll
always get that. It's more of a problem for the commercial grower
than for the amateur, who doesn't have to please Captain Birdseye.

Maybe the best thing is to sow three experimental rows, one early,
one middle, and one late, and see how they go.

--
Mike.