Long-producing Peas?

[Diane Whitehead]

My first-planted snap and snow peas have finished bearing, and the second lot haven't started yet, but should be flowering soon.  I will be planting the third batch this week.

I wonder if there are any varieties that keep on producing, like indeterminate tomatoes that bear until frost.

[AndrewB]

My first-planted snap and snow peas have finished bearing, and the second lot haven't started yet, but should be flowering soon.  I will be planting the third batch this week.

I wonder if there are any varieties that keep on producing, like indeterminate tomatoes that bear until frost.

I have been working on a project saving seeds from plants that throw a second crop of peas in the fall after the summer. I have found that possibly most, or at least a significant portion (50%? 25%?) of peas will appear dead, but will regrow from the roots in the fall and start growing again as if planted from seed.

I do wonder if this can be increased by cutting off the tops of the plants when they are mostly dead and dry, but before the main stem has turned brown. Last year I left about two nodes above ground when I trimmed the plants.

If anyone wants to devote specific attention to this project and breed for varieties that have a 75-100% regrow rate I can send the seeds I have saved for this project specifically and someone else can devote the effort to looking into this more. Or I will continue to look for this trait in all my peas and specifically save the regrown seeds into their own bag of saved seeds like I have been doing.

P.s. the green seeded trait may be linked with early senescence and yellowing of the leaves and plant. So, this may work better with yellow seeded varieties of peas.

[Diane Whitehead]

Thanks.  I was just going to rip out the plants that have finished, but I'll let them dry and watch for regrowth.

[A Horn]

Mammoth melting sugar is happy to keep producing pods when the temperatures are below 90. We had a hot week recently and so the pollen was not viable and some leaves scorched but they perked up and continued when the highs went back down to the mid 80s

[Diane Whitehead]

I have been watering my peas well, and they are carrying on producing.

[Cathy A]

I haven't found any peas that will bear all summer, but I am growing Magnolia Blossom Snap Peas for the first time this year, and they appear to be still producing as the Tall Telephone gradually die back.  You might want to try them, at least as breeding material.

I planted Sugar Bon Snap and Lillian's Caseload as fall peas. Both are now about an inch or two high. These are dwarf peas, and I am hoping they will grow quickly enough to produce a good crop before the first hard freeze.

[galina gardiner]

Magnolia Blossom for us was also a pea that produced for longer than others.  Kept producing more flowers.  Although the yield went lower and lower over time.  In the end I composted the vines as any further peas were few and far between.  I did not try to cut the stems down and revive them this way.  Might have worked.  Here peas are very important until the beans fully take over and beans do go right up to frost.

Although I do have a few peas sown for a late harvest too.  We just love peas.

[AndrewB]

I have a suspicion.

I suspect that most pea varieties may not keep producing if left in the ground before they die, though some might. I have seen this happen sometimes. Maybe higher if the plants are kept watered during summer.

I suspect if pea plants are dying from the top down, and the plants are cut near the bottom but above one or two nodes that are still green before the senescence has reached them, they will likely regrow as long as they are not too dry during summer and as temperatures cool down they start to grow again.

[Steph S]

I was amazed at the regeneration of peas that were cut way down by moose in July one year.

In the fall I always wonder if the brown leaves are due to the plant's production being finished or if it is just that susceptible plants get the foliar disease and it spreads to the others.
There are definitely plants that will regrow if cut down as Andrew suggested, with a few good green nodes.
I have had sprouting right from the ground as well, but they didn't really have the conditions to continue growing so didn't amount to much.

[Cathy A]

I have seen some abandoned-but-not-pulled spring pea plants start to grow again in the fall, but they failed to produce any additional peas.

Last year I was able to get a few fall peas, better than in past years, by growing Sugar Bon (IIRC).

But I haven't found a perfect way to get a long pea season. Peas seem to prefer cool days and warm nights for best growth and yield, and I don't  have that combination. By the time the nights warm up, the days have become hot.

[Diane Whitehead]

I don't need to worry about too much heat, but I've just checked one of my seed catalogues to see if any are listed which may be suitable for you.

Sugar Peas
RECORD:  Heat tolerant, long vines, for multiple pickings
AVALANCHE SNO-45:  Tolerant to heat and performs well late spring till autumn.  An improved Oregon Sugar Pod.

Snap Peas
CASCADIA: After a number of summer trials w have found Cascadia to be the best in summer heat.

[Adrian]

Hi Diane,
Oregon sugar pod is tolerant at the heat?

A big problem with the peas for us is that the pod are dry before that the peas are finished to get fat.
For ours climates thoses peas can have a great interest.

A other variety very tolerant our we are very enjoyed in France is "Kelvedon peas".Probably a great sucess for more sweet climates.

[Diane Whitehead]

You eat the pods of sugar peas before the seeds start to form.  The pods are flat and green.

[galina gardiner]

Just rereading this thread.  A variety that seems to last well into summer and cope with some heat, is Opal Creek.