they've sprouted, maybe we'll have some
pods before the frosts. i'm hoping we
have late frosts and they will do well.
if anything they will be a cover crop.
we've really enjoyed the peas this year
and only regret we didn't plant more and
years ago.

this garden is about 1.5m x 1.5m, raised
bed and almost all clay (a little sand was
added to it many years ago when it was
set up as a perennial garden). it was used
to grow green peppers the last two years
(both years produced well). this year it
had peas and mixed leaf lettuces. it did
ok. the lettuces eventually bolted and i
had to get them turned under.

which was a good chance to examine the
soil to see how it was changing from the
plant roots, the few holes where i'd put
worms a few months ago and the light mulch
of shredded paper i'd put on top to keep
the lettuces from getting dirt splashed
on them.

there was more evidence of fungal hyphae
along the fractures of the clay as it
crumbled. most of this was likely fed from
the decaying shredded paper. the places
where i'd put worms or where there were
decayed roots from the peas or lettuces
were more easily noticeable. no worms
were found. probably too hot and not
enough organic materials in there and
they didn't have an easy way to get down
deeper either.

i dug out four trenches down about 30cm
and put down the bolted lettuces and
whatever else on top that was organic and
then on top of that put several kilos of
worms, chopped up organic materials and
worm poo. then buried them. i'm hoping
they'll do ok this time. one trench i
made deeper in the middle to give them
a way to work down if it gets hot again.
good luck little buddies. gotta make
sure to get some green manure on there
in a week and a half. then i planted
plenty of peas on top.

this garden is right next to another
garden of the same shape, height and
soil and that has been treated a little
differently to start with and will be
examined later this fall after the volunteer
squash plants are done.

other peas are in progress, but they
are not pod peas, instead they are the
round smooth kind you find in split
pea soup. a small patch to increase
the seed stock for next year. i like
how they grow, they are quite cute with
their many tendrils. i'm not sure they
would be good fresh or not, i'll try
a few when they plump up a little more.

the fun continues...


songbird