[Cultivar Information] PEA ‘Dwarf Gray Sugar’

[B. Copping]

I recently read a post requesting assistance in maintaining this variety.
Please feel free to add information to this thread.
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DWARF GRAY SUGAR

Introduced in 1892, ‘Dwarf Gray Sugar’ is a classic pea with multiple uses.
When picked in the flat pod stage, they are useful in stir-fried dishes or salads.
If you prefer, you can allow the pods to develop for a harvest for shelled green peas.

Type: Edible podded (Snow Pea; Mange-tout)

Maturity: Mid-season
For eating: 67+ days
Seed maturity: 80+ days

Height: Half-dwarf; up to 3’ (depends on the environment)
Staking/Support: Recommended

Flowers: Purple and violet

Pod Type: Edible
Pod Colour: Green
Pod Size: up to 3”
Pods/Node: 1 or 2 (depends on the environment)
Seeds/Pod: 4-7

Seed Coat: Green with purple dots; sometimes brown.
Cotyledons: Wrinkled; Green

Other Notable Features:
- Purple ring in the leaf axil
- Pod shrinks around seed as it dries

[B. Copping]

Seeds from 2009, 2015, and 2017.
Pods from 2015.

[B. Copping]

Flower and plant pictures.
Flowers, leaf axils, pods (normal, and rogue)

[Andrew Barney]

I used to have a pea database on my website before I got hit with spam. I tried my best to save a backup and i should have all the photos that were contributed by others, but the mysql database stuff I'm not sure how to get that information restored or pulled out in usable form. I'd like to get it back up and running, but I'm a little out of my element.

If anyone knows website maintenance, SQL database, media wiki and cpanel please let me know. I could use some help.

I'll see if I can extract info and pictures about this variety specifically if I can. My selection has only had small grey mottled seeds, mostly like your far right picture. Can't say they've ever had brown. My original seed came from seedsavers exchange website store and It was variable for constricted pods and inflated pods. I selected for constricted.

[gmuller]

Is rebsie's stuff still available online? Did she cover this variety?

Some other characterisitcs that might be worth recording -
Does DGS have crushable pods?
Number of flowers per node?
How many nodes to first flower?
GM

[B. Copping]

I’m afraid I can’t help any with the website/database problem.

In my 2015 grow-out, I planted the maroon and brown seeds in separate rows.
The resulting seed harvest was all grey with purple spots.

As the seed has aged, however, the colour of the seed coat has changed on some of them.
Specifically: any seed that had blurry purple markings, or was almost completely purple at harvest, has changed in colour.
I associate this with peas that were mature at harvest, but had not completely dried on the vine.

So in the photo, you can see the way that the colour has changed in some of them over time.
It is interesting that you haven’t seen this in your population.

Crushable pods: they are quite brittle when fully dry and crumble easily. No aeronautic or acrobatic tendancies.
The shelling rogue in the picture managed to fling one of it’s seeds across the counter and into parts unknown, even though I was being careful when splitting it open.

Flower per node: 2 max. I had it listed under pods/node.

Nodes to first flower: I don’t know. I’ll have to look for that this year.

[Andrew Barney]

Would you like a sample of seeds of mine to compare with yours?

[B. Copping]

Peas please!
A side-by-side comparison would be interesting.
It would help narrow down what is environmental/cultural and what is possibly genetic.
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GENETIC PROFILE Pisum sativum ‘Dwarf Gray Sugar’

Anthocyanin: Yes {A}
Ring in Leaf Axil: Purple {D + A}
Flowers: Purple and violet {? + A}
Purple Stripe on Top of Pod: Yes {sru/srub? + A}
Testa Pattern: Purple spots {Fs? + A}

Flowers:
Colour: Purple and violet; see anthocyanin section.
Flowers/Node: 2 max. {fn/fna?}

Pods:
Colour: Green {Gp}
Type: Edible {ppV_ or P_vv} ?

Seeds:  Green with purple dots; sometimes brown.
Testa: Grey {?}
Testa Pattern:  Purple spots. See anthocyanin section.
Cotyledon Colour: Green {i}
Cotyledon Shape: Dimpled {?}

Height: Half-dwarf; up to 3’

[galina]

Regarding DGS height.  A seed friend from Colorado sent DGS to both a gardener in Maine and to me in central England.  In Colorado they were short and needed no staking.  In Maine they needed a little staking and here they were about 4ft tall, not a short pea.  Sun intensity as well as early or late sowing does influence plant height a lot with peas. 

Sown in February they get taller than sown in April even in the same location.  I guess because it is so much lighter in April.  This is true for all peas, but DGS was the first one that brought this fact to our attention. 

[Andrew Barney]

Regarding DGS height.  A seed friend from Colorado sent DGS to both a gardener in Maine and to me in central England.  In Colorado they were short and needed no staking.  In Maine they needed a little staking and here they were about 4ft tall, not a short pea.  Sun intensity as well as early or late sowing does influence plant height a lot with peas. 

Sown in February they get taller than sown in April even in the same location.  I guess because it is so much lighter in April.  This is true for all peas, but DGS was the first one that brought this fact to our attention.

That is a very interesting phenomenon. Good to keep in mind. I had forgot about that.

[B. Copping]

Seeds from Andrew have arrived!

Here’s a picture for comparison.
I suspect that the observable differences are caused by growing environment.
Will have confirmation on that theory at harvest.

Would you like a sample of seeds of mine to compare with yours?