Pea puzzle
 

I manufactured the most gorgeous bambou wigwams this year to grow peas
and runner beans on - the runner beans are flying, but the peas did not
even deign to germinate, despite at least 5 re-seedings... Any idea
what might have happened? There are plenty woodpigeons where I garden,
do they eat pea seeds? If so, why did they leave my beans alone?
The odd thing is that my next door neighbour has a fab crop, and is no
more protected from the woodpigeons than I am!
Help? What can I do right next year?
Cat(h)
The world swirls...

Cat(h) wrote:

I manufactured the most gorgeous bambou wigwams this year to grow peas
and runner beans on - the runner beans are flying, but the peas did not
even deign to germinate, despite at least 5 re-seedings... Any idea
what might have happened? There are plenty woodpigeons where I garden,
do they eat pea seeds? If so, why did they leave my beans alone?
The odd thing is that my next door neighbour has a fab crop, and is no
more protected from the woodpigeons than I am!
Help? What can I do right next year?
Cat(h)
The world swirls...

I had a whole row eaten by mice. When I planted the replacement I put
out mouse traps, caught 5 or 6, no more problem there. Incidentally I
find that peanut butter is the best bait. I only wish the blasted
rabbits were as easy to catch!

--
All replies to this email address are deleted on receipt.

Common sense, not common market.

Broadback wrote:
Cat(h) wrote:

I manufactured the most gorgeous bambou wigwams this year to grow peas
and runner beans on - the runner beans are flying, but the peas did not
even deign to germinate, despite at least 5 re-seedings... Any idea
what might have happened? There are plenty woodpigeons where I garden,
do they eat pea seeds? If so, why did they leave my beans alone?
The odd thing is that my next door neighbour has a fab crop, and is no
more protected from the woodpigeons than I am!
Help? What can I do right next year?
Cat(h)
The world swirls...

I had a whole row eaten by mice. When I planted the replacement I put
out mouse traps, caught 5 or 6, no more problem there. Incidentally I
find that peanut butter is the best bait. I only wish the blasted
rabbits were as easy to catch!


Hmm. I hadn't thought of mice. I might try the trap thing with peanut
butter next year. I have given up on peas for this year.
Thanks !

Cat(h)
The world swirls...

On 20 Jul 2005 06:05:58 -0700, "Cat(h)" wrote:

I manufactured the most gorgeous bambou wigwams this year to grow peas
and runner beans on - the runner beans are flying, but the peas did not
even deign to germinate, despite at least 5 re-seedings... Any idea
what might have happened? There are plenty woodpigeons where I garden,
do they eat pea seeds? If so, why did they leave my beans alone?
The odd thing is that my next door neighbour has a fab crop, and is no
more protected from the woodpigeons than I am!
Help? What can I do right next year?
Cat(h)

My father-in-law used to soak his peas in paraffin overnight before
planting in order to deter mice. He always had a good crop but I have
not tried the idea. This year I pre-germinated my peas, about 3 to a
small pot, and planted them out in rows. Fiddly, but it worked!


Pam in Bristol

"Cat(h)" wrote ...
Broadback wrote:
Cat(h) wrote:

I manufactured the most gorgeous bambou wigwams this year to grow peas
and runner beans on - the runner beans are flying, but the peas did not
even deign to germinate, despite at least 5 re-seedings... Any idea
what might have happened? There are plenty woodpigeons where I garden,
do they eat pea seeds? If so, why did they leave my beans alone?
The odd thing is that my next door neighbour has a fab crop, and is no
more protected from the woodpigeons than I am!
Help? What can I do right next year?
Cat(h)
The world swirls...

I had a whole row eaten by mice. When I planted the replacement I put
out mouse traps, caught 5 or 6, no more problem there. Incidentally I
find that peanut butter is the best bait. I only wish the blasted
rabbits were as easy to catch!


Hmm. I hadn't thought of mice. I might try the trap thing with peanut
butter next year. I have given up on peas for this year.
Thanks !

No need to do that, plant some Early Peas (Feltham First/ Early Onward)
early next month and you should get a crop by the first frost. Water them
well if it's dry though.
Might be worth planting them in a pot and planting them out once growing.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

Cat(h) wrote:
do they eat pea seeds? If so, why did they leave my beans alone?
The odd thing is that my next door neighbour has a fab crop, and is no
more protected from the woodpigeons than I am!
Help? What can I do right next year?

No idea Cath why you've got beans but no peas.

I pot sow 99% of my seed vegetable crops in the conservatory (not owning
a greenhouse...) and let seeds germinate and grow on in the conservatory
until they reach a reasonable size. I pot on as necessary, and then when
the weather gets about right, I harden off and plant out.

I've found out the hard way that this is what gurantees me a crop. It
doesn't always work out 100%, but I usually get something. PLanting out
mature plants means they are unlikely to be decimated by slugs & snails
which seems to be my worst pest......

Pot sow you peas next year (one per 2 - 3" dia. pot) under cover, grow
to about 4 - 6" tall, harden off and plant out.

HTH,

Sarah

On 20 Jul 2005 06:05:58 -0700, "Cat(h)" wrote:

I manufactured the most gorgeous bambou wigwams this year to grow peas
and runner beans on - the runner beans are flying, but the peas did not
even deign to germinate, despite at least 5 re-seedings... Any idea
what might have happened? There are plenty woodpigeons where I garden,
do they eat pea seeds? If so, why did they leave my beans alone?
The odd thing is that my next door neighbour has a fab crop, and is no
more protected from the woodpigeons than I am!
Help? What can I do right next year?
Cat(h)
The world swirls...
MICE

Thanks to Pam, Sarah , Neil, Bob and Broadback.
I had not grown my peas in pots, rather straight in the soil.
You live and learn.
If time permits - and I only get to garden at week ends, when other
things do not require attention - I'll give it another go with the
varieties suggested, and see how it goes.
Thanks again for all the help on peas and courgettes!
Cat(h)
The world swirls...

On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 17:26:26 +0100, Bob Hobden wrote:
Hmm. I hadn't thought of mice. I might try the trap thing with peanut
butter next year. I have given up on peas for this year.
Thanks !

No need to do that, plant some Early Peas (Feltham First/ Early Onward)
early next month and you should get a crop by the first frost. Water them
well if it's dry though.

I have been told that Kelvedon Wonder is a good variety to sow for a
late crop, So I am about to try that now having just found some in my
local shop. These are Suttons seeds and on the packet they show
sowing up till mid July ( but they dont say which end of the country
!! )
Other times that I have done Early Onward late they have sucumbed to
mildew just before the pods fatten up :-( (location N.Somerset)

My mice seem to go for just the remaining bit of seed. They would
ignore the roots and cast aside the wee sprout from the top, just
beside the pit that they neatly dug it out of ! Grrrrr.
So now I do most of the sowings in pots ( or rain-water guttering, or
plastic holed trays that mushrooms are delivered to veg shops in) and
only plant out when the peas are several leaf nodes high.

Now, having solved the mouse problem, my peas and other things are
being heaved up by moles from below :-(, when not being eaten off at
about 2ft high by the deer when I forget to put netting round the
sides and top :-((

Sometimes I think it would be easier just to buy the d*&^%m peas in
Tesco !!

In article , WaltA
writes

My mice seem to go for just the remaining bit of seed. They would
ignore the roots and cast aside the wee sprout from the top, just
beside the pit that they neatly dug it out of ! Grrrrr.
So now I do most of the sowings in pots ( or rain-water guttering, or
plastic holed trays that mushrooms are delivered to veg shops in) and
only plant out when the peas are several leaf nodes high.

Now, having solved the mouse problem, my peas and other things are
being heaved up by moles from below :-(, when not being eaten off at
about 2ft high by the deer when I forget to put netting round the
sides and top :-((

Sometimes I think it would be easier just to buy the d*&^%m peas in
Tesco !!

I suppose you are beginning to explain why organic peas are so
expensive.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 20:22:45 +0100, Kay wrote:
Sometimes I think it would be easier just to buy the d*&^%m peas in
Tesco !!

I suppose you are beginning to explain why organic peas are so
expensive.

You could not begin to afford my peas at my labour per pod rate at the
mo. !
(I mean the general you, not you=Kay !!)

I suppose it makes me wonder what kind of garden Tesco grow their
"Garden Peas" in, I rkn it must be a garden in the middle of a
military-industrial complex.