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Disappointed in snap pea production

AiliDeSpain
9 years ago

I planted about thirty sugar ann snap pea plants and thus far have harvested about a handful of pods and it seems like the plants are going to be winding down soon as temps are rising. Is this a typical harvest for snap peas having around thirty plants? If so I am sure I will not plant them next year as I don't have the space to get a decent harvest!

Comments (15)

  • mandolls
    9 years ago

    I realize Utah gets a lot hotter, earlier than WI, but last year my sugar snaps were still producing through most of July. Have they stopped putting out new flowers ?

    Seems to me 30 plants should give you a handful, or two every 3-4 days once they get going.

  • sunnibel7 Md 7
    9 years ago

    Thirty plants isn't a lot, but I'm not sure what a handful is. 5 pods? 30 pods? But don't count out your peas until they start turning crispy. We tend to get hot fast too, but usually the peas hit their peak during that first hot spell and live a but longer than I think they will every summer.

  • digdirt2
    9 years ago

    Many gardeners find peas - either kind - to not be worth the space they require for decent production. Especially if you want enough for a family for more than just a couple of meals.

    Now if you have space to plant 100' rows of them that's one thing. But they just don't lend themselves to effective container growing and the space they require can usually be more productive with other vegetables.

    That said I always plant one 24" pot with them just for me as I like to eat them right out of the pod while working around the container garden. Easily plant 30-40+ peas in it and never get or expect to get more than a 6-8 pods a day.

    Dave

  • daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
    9 years ago

    Well, sugar snap peas are more worth the space than peas, because there is a lot more to eat. I plant 30 or so plants at a time on two five foot trellises, and with a winter planting, get a big handful a day in April, which works great for our salads. Last couple of years I've alternated these trellises with peas and cherry tomatoes. I have to wonder about your soil, as well as weather conditions. Is this in a plot that has been more productive before? It might just be your soil. Does anything else grow well there?

  • AiliDeSpain
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I planted them along a fence in my garden area. I did not grow anything there the last two years, but this year I am maximizing my space. I amended the soil with compost as I have done with the entire garden area over the last couple of years. Everything else in my garden does great, so I doubt it is the soil.
    Maybe I am counting them out too soon, they are still producing some flowers just not as many as I would expect. Like I said this is my first time with snap peas so I had no idea what to expect in terms of production. They sure are delicious though!!!

  • daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
    9 years ago

    Hmmm. Do other gardeners in your area have success with snap peas? Your humidity is very low in Utah, I'm guessing, and my impression is that peas like high humidity. Mine tend to wilt a bit when the air dries out a lot and, of course, when it heats up.

    My sugar snap peas were somewhat heroic this year, as they went in in December, and endured temps of 22F in February. About a quarter of the plants didn't survive (all plants survived, but each lost leaves and stems), but within a few weeks you couldn't even see the damage, they had grown so much. It was a cold winter, so these 60-day-to-maturity plants took about 90!

  • tracydr
    9 years ago

    I usually get a decent pea crop in our super dry weather. I plant in October-November and crop is ready by first of Feb.
    I prefer tall varieties. More peas per plant.

  • glib
    9 years ago

    But tall or short, peas are a field crop. Just like corn. The yield per square foot is too low. I have 2100 sq ft and still do not plant them, although I do like them.

  • Slimy_Okra
    9 years ago

    I don't know about your location but this has been a really weird spring here. The frost came out of the ground on May 14th and it hit 90 degrees exactly a week later.

  • AiliDeSpain
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you everyone for your insight. I do enjoy eating the peas and they are not taking up the space I need for something else so I guess I will let them go and see how they do. Today I harvested about six pods and enjoyed them while tending the garden. They are so tasty!

  • sunnibel7 Md 7
    9 years ago

    Aili, read this linked thread, it might help you. I have a feeling unless you have a tiny 2-ft fence (you might), you may have grown your peas much thinner than necessary. It has lots of nice pictures, though it wasn't the thread I was looking for where people discussed their pea spacings. I have never found them to be a waste of space! :)

    Here is a link that might be useful: Peas discussion

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    9 years ago

    I love snap peas and although I have a good amount of space, I would plant them if they were the only crop I grew. I plant in a band about 4"-5" wide with peas separated about 1" apart. I presoak them overnight and then plant them out as early as I can get into the garden, which this year wasn't until the end of April due to snow and frozen ground. For me 30 plants would only be a couple of feet at most. I grow about 10 feet of peas, planted in 2 plantings about 2 weeks apart and usually have production for 6 weeks or so. I eat a quart a day (almost all of them raw) and have plenty to give away. In your climate, mulching the ground around your peas may keep the soil cooler and more evenly moist and so they may produce better. Also, there is an innoculent (be sure you get for peas, not beans) that you can add at the time of planting that has the bacteria that helps the plant create the root nodules and fix nitrogen if you soil is lacking in that.
    Here's an example of the band of plants. The gaps are courtesy of cutworms. ;>(

  • Mindyw3
    9 years ago

    I don't plant "peas". Non edible pod here in nebraska where we get hot fast and rain is unpredictable. I plant them in a part of the garden that is full sub until the trees leaf out then it's part shade. I plant 1 4x4 bed and that's enough for my boys to eat every morning, along with strawberries, and not ask for a formal breakfast... I've never had luck with them in the fall. It's worth it to me to see the boys faces every morning but we've also learned to use the shoots and flowers in stir fries and salads to make the trouble more worth while for the adults in the house. The shoots and flowers taste just like the peas!

  • AiliDeSpain
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Sunni, thanks for the link. Yes I planted them way too sparingly. I had about 10 ft X 1ft usable space along that fence with a cattle panel trellis in front, I could have planned so many more seeds! Lesson learned! !! :)

  • sunnibel7 Md 7
    9 years ago

    Happy it was helpful!

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