I have left about 100 pods un-harvested, with a view to collecting seed, as
they're a bit pricey.

Should I leave the swollen pods to dry out in situ or should I shell them
and air-dry the peas? TIA.

On 19/08/2013 20:21, Bertie Doe wrote:
I have left about 100 pods un-harvested, with a view to collecting seed,
as they're a bit pricey.

Should I leave the swollen pods to dry out in situ or should I shell
them and air-dry the peas? TIA.


Leave them.

I select my pods for seed through the season keeping the best, these I
spray blue using an Oasis flower spray paint bought from a local
wholesale florist.
This e bay link shows the colour range.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/16095...f13=80&ff14=83
David

On 19/08/2013 21:21, Bertie Doe wrote:
I have left about 100 pods un-harvested, with a view to collecting seed,
as they're a bit pricey.

Should I leave the swollen pods to dry out in situ or should I shell
them and air-dry the peas? TIA.



I just collect the dry pods from the plants prior to pulling them up.
Then shell the pods. Most peas are quite dry and beige colour. I also
keep the larger green peas too. I put them all on a large tray and put
them outside in the sunshine for a few days, bringing them back indoors
again overnight. After a few days they are all dry (wrinkly) and beige
colour. I put the peas in a leg of old tights and hang them in the attic
to store them overwinter where it is cool, dry and airy.

--
David in Normandy.

On Mon, 19 Aug 2013 21:18:09 +0100, David Hill
wrote:

On 19/08/2013 20:21, Bertie Doe wrote:
I have left about 100 pods un-harvested, with a view to collecting seed,
as they're a bit pricey.

Should I leave the swollen pods to dry out in situ or should I shell
them and air-dry the peas? TIA.


Leave them.

I select my pods for seed through the season keeping the best, these I
spray blue using an Oasis flower spray paint bought from a local
wholesale florist.
This e bay link shows the colour range.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/16095...f13=80&ff14=83
David

What a brilliant idea! Better than tying string onto the stems of
plants (such as dahlias! from which I want to save the seed.
Does the rain not wash it off?

Pam in Bristol

"David Hill" wrote in message ...

On 19/08/2013 20:21, Bertie Doe wrote:
I have left about 100 pods un-harvested, with a view to collecting seed,
as they're a bit pricey.

Should I leave the swollen pods to dry out in situ or should I shell
them and air-dry the peas? TIA.


Leave them.

I select my pods for seed through the season keeping the best, these I
spray blue using an Oasis flower spray paint bought from a local wholesale
florist.
This e bay link shows the colour range.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/16095...f13=80&ff14=83

Thanks David, I haven't heard of this method before. Are you saying that
paint spraying the pods, preserves the seed till the following Spring?

On 19/08/2013 22:06, Bertie Doe wrote:


"David Hill" wrote in message ...

On 19/08/2013 20:21, Bertie Doe wrote:
I have left about 100 pods un-harvested, with a view to collecting seed,
as they're a bit pricey.

Should I leave the swollen pods to dry out in situ or should I shell
them and air-dry the peas? TIA.


Leave them.

I select my pods for seed through the season keeping the best, these
I spray blue using an Oasis flower spray paint bought from a local
wholesale florist.
This e bay link shows the colour range.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/16095...f13=80&ff14=83


Thanks David, I haven't heard of this method before. Are you saying that
paint spraying the pods, preserves the seed till the following Spring?


The colour is waterproof so doesn't wash off Pam.
The reason for spraying them is to stop me picking them by mistake, as ,
I said before I select the best pods through the season and as I grow
heritage varieties that pick over several weeks need some way of marking
them.
It doesn't help them keep any better

"David in Normandy" wrote in message ...

On 19/08/2013 21:21, Bertie Doe wrote:
I have left about 100 pods un-harvested, with a view to collecting seed,
as they're a bit pricey.

Should I leave the swollen pods to dry out in situ or should I shell
them and air-dry the peas? TIA.



I just collect the dry pods from the plants prior to pulling them up. Then
shell the pods. Most peas are quite dry and beige colour. I also keep the
larger green peas too. I put them all on a large tray and put them outside
in the sunshine for a few days, bringing them back indoors again overnight.
After a few days they are all dry (wrinkly) and beige colour. I put the
peas in a leg of old tights and hang them in the attic to store them
overwinter where it is cool, dry and airy.

Thanks David, I'll try this method, Hopefully I'll collect about 500 peas
for next season.
The flowers are quite attractive also, two-colour, similar to those halfway
down this link:-
http://planetpenny.co.uk/2010/07/13/...r-for-ducks-2/

"Bertie Doe" wrote in
:

I have left about 100 pods un-harvested, with a view to collecting
seed, as they're a bit pricey.

Should I leave the swollen pods to dry out in situ or should I shell
them and air-dry the peas? TIA.



Leave them in situ until the pod dries and goes papery. Then pick them and
pod them. Put the dried peas in lightly salted tepid water for an hour or
so to get rid of moth grub. The grub(if any) will float to the top, as some
peas will. Get rid of anything that floats after the hour. Let the sunk
peas dry again and store them.
Bit of a faff, but getting rid of duff seed will give much better
germination rate at sowing time next year. And no grub can hibernate.

Baz

"Baz" wrote in message ...

"Bertie Doe" wrote in
:

I have left about 100 pods un-harvested, with a view to collecting
seed, as they're a bit pricey.

Should I leave the swollen pods to dry out in situ or should I shell
them and air-dry the peas? TIA.



Leave them in situ until the pod dries and goes papery. Then pick them and
pod them. Put the dried peas in lightly salted tepid water for an hour or
so to get rid of moth grub. The grub(if any) will float to the top, as some
peas will. Get rid of anything that floats after the hour. Let the sunk
peas dry again and store them.
Bit of a faff, but getting rid of duff seed will give much better
germination rate at sowing time next year. And no grub can hibernate.

I've tried air drying the pods on the vine once before. I may have left them
too late as all the pods went black and I discarded the lot.

Haven't tried again since. Mind you, it was a very wet September that year
IIRC.

On 20/08/2013 15:25, Bertie Doe wrote:


"Baz" wrote in message ...

"Bertie Doe" wrote in
:

I have left about 100 pods un-harvested, with a view to collecting
seed, as they're a bit pricey.

Should I leave the swollen pods to dry out in situ or should I shell
them and air-dry the peas? TIA.



Leave them in situ until the pod dries and goes papery. Then pick them
and
pod them. Put the dried peas in lightly salted tepid water for an hour or
so to get rid of moth grub. The grub(if any) will float to the top, as
some
peas will. Get rid of anything that floats after the hour. Let the sunk
peas dry again and store them.
Bit of a faff, but getting rid of duff seed will give much better
germination rate at sowing time next year. And no grub can hibernate.

I've tried air drying the pods on the vine once before. I may have left
them too late as all the pods went black and I discarded the lot.

Haven't tried again since. Mind you, it was a very wet September that
year IIRC.



I've only lost them when it has been very wet; the peas rotted in the
pods rather than ripening. For that reason I always like to harvest lots
of spare seeds, enough for two or three years plantings. Id rather throw
away surplus seed than not have enough. Just as well I have this policy
too - for two years running I lost all my mangetout seedlings. Something
ate them off around half inch above the ground. This year I started them
off in half a dozen seed trays on an outdoor table and didn't plant them
out until they were a few inches high - tearing them into strips to
plant in the ground. Next year I might try planting the seeds in
guttering as someone on here has suggested previously.

--
David in Normandy.

"David in Normandy" wrote in message ...

On 20/08/2013 15:25, Bertie Doe wrote:


"Baz" wrote in message ...

"Bertie Doe" wrote in
:

I have left about 100 pods un-harvested, with a view to collecting
seed, as they're a bit pricey.

Should I leave the swollen pods to dry out in situ or should I shell
them and air-dry the peas? TIA.



Leave them in situ until the pod dries and goes papery. Then pick them
and
pod them. Put the dried peas in lightly salted tepid water for an hour
or
so to get rid of moth grub. The grub(if any) will float to the top, as
some
peas will. Get rid of anything that floats after the hour. Let the sunk
peas dry again and store them.
Bit of a faff, but getting rid of duff seed will give much better
germination rate at sowing time next year. And no grub can hibernate.

I've tried air drying the pods on the vine once before. I may have left
them too late as all the pods went black and I discarded the lot.

Haven't tried again since. Mind you, it was a very wet September that
.. year IIRC.



I've only lost them when it has been very wet; the peas rotted in the pods
rather than ripening. For that reason I always like to harvest lots of
spare seeds, enough for two or three years plantings. Id rather throw away
surplus seed than not have enough. Just as well I have this policy too -
for two years running I lost all my mangetout seedlings. Something ate them
off around half inch above the ground. This year I started them off in half
a dozen seed trays on an outdoor table and didn't plant them out until they
were a few inches high - tearing them into strips to plant in the ground.
Next year I might try planting the seeds in guttering as someone on here
has suggested previously.

If they sprout during a wet period, I suspect slugs and snails are the
culprits - rather than birds.

Following the urg guttering tip, I tried it for the 2012 season. I found
germination rates were low. Probably due to the shallow soil depth in
guttering. I may have let them dry out on a couple of occasions.

"Bertie Doe" wrote in message ...



If they sprout during a wet period, I suspect slugs and snails are the
culprits - rather than birds.

Following the urg guttering tip, I tried it for the 2012 season. I found
germination rates were low. Probably due to the shallow soil depth in
guttering. I may have let them dry out on a couple of occasions.

Drying out - fatal !

My carrots in a supermarket delivery basket trial is showing promise (:-)
About nine inches depth of growing medium and about fifty potential carrots
as I speak.

Pete