This year, I decided it was time to go with an early crop, followed by, hopefully, a later crop. That’s right: two for one from the Inadvertent Garden.
Hence the planting of spinach and mesclun mix, of course, but also…the planting of peas. I keep hearing all these wonderful things from other garden bloggers about their fresh peas, and so I thought, this year, that I’d give them a try myself.
I picked out a package of Alaska Peas, described on the back as a “Leading early canning variety. Popular for home gardens in the South.”
One might ask why Alaska peas are popular in the South, being that Alaska is as far away from, say, Alabama as you can get, but I assume someone else already answered these questions. One might also ask why, when they’re great for growing in the South, I think they’ll flourish in the Midwest? I don’t have an answer for you.
No. Wait. I do have an answer: They sold them in a local store. Can I help it if I think the local store knows how to order seeds?
OK, OK, it was Paul’s Discount, which probably knows nothing about ordering seeds. Leave me alone.
Regardless, those of you who were horrified at my complete ignoring of the proper depth for mesclun seeds last year would be glad to know that I followed the package directions very strictly. I even measured to make sure the seeds went in one to two inches deep, and at least two inches apart. I made sure the rows were spaced 1.5 feet apart, as well.
Why was I so obsessive about it, you might ask? (So many, many questions in this entry…) There were another set of instructions on the back of the seed packet:
THIN When planted at the proper spacing, there is no need for thinning.
Well, alrighty then. I have to say, when I read that instruction, I hear a snooty British voice in my head. Not a fun, nice, have-a-pint-with-me British voice, but a snooty one.
So I paid heed, and planted at a proper distance. Bully for me.
on May 7th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
Genie: I got a kick about your pea seed story. Only those of us who pour over garden catalogs understand your musings about how some seeds get their names. I am using a pea seed called “Dakota”. Now if it’s north or south Dakota I don’t know…but I figure it’s closer to Montana than AK. Really good short vined peas. You’d love ‘em. I freeze them. Lots of work but worth it with the pork chops, and in stews come winter. Have defied package labeling and planted some pumpkins and green bean seed already. It’s supposed to be 82* here tomorrow…unusually high temp. We’ll see… the weather predictors are not always right. Even 70* would be fine!
Oh by the way…it takes a lot of shelling peas to get a meal. Wonderful with new potatoes! Can’t wait! take care, pats.
on May 8th, 2007 at 12:55 am
Down south our cool weather plants need to be the kind that can mature in a short season before the heat sets in. I pulled up my snow peas in late March.
on May 8th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Pats, it’s warm here, too, and I’m hoping we’re out of the woods as far as temperature drops go…although I know in Iowa it’s never certain. I figure the pea shelling bit is going to be a little tedious, but I’m trying to think of it as Zen instead. :-)
M Sinclair, ah…that makes perfect sense. Perhaps these peas will mature quickly…and then I can get to shelling.
on May 21st, 2007 at 9:34 am
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