Harvesting Peas

This season is a mix of outright failure and some nice success. Our last frost was a month late. We’ve had several killing frosts throughout April. The Sugar Snap Peas have been a very nice success.

We have about 150 feet of trellis with peas planted on each side. Earlier in the planning stages, I hoped for 100 pounds and 8 weeks of harvesting. In the last two weeks, we have harvested 4 times yielding 60 pounds already. The peas are now 2/3 up the trellis and still blooming. They have had almost no pest problems either the exception being aphids. But the aphids  are nearly matched with ladybugs eating aphids and they have settled into a healthy balance.

Even in good health it is not my experience that pea vines will be productive for 8 weeks. Maybe they will produce 4 weeks then begin to fade. It feels like the time to plant pole beans and cucumbers with the peas. I wonder if, as planned, the peas will provide enough trellising for the beans and cucumbers? My plan is to plant right next to the peas and cut the peas at their base when the beans begin to twine. This will reduce root competition and offer a scaffold. We shall see…

Here is a roster of wins and losses to date:

Wins:

• Potatoes. Nice growth, responding well to cultivation. Blooming and 2 feet tall. No pests. Expect 400 pounds.
• Corn. Looks better and better. Few pests yet. Some damaged by high water.
• Onions. Dusted for worms which were a problem. Used Seven dust and was effective. Need one more dusting before harvest. We might get 200 pounds.
• Garlic. Some worm damage. No flowering yet. Harvest in two weeks.

Loses:

• 

  Tomatoes. Early planting was killed by frost. Grafted tomatoes were timed to be planted April 7 but planted May 7th. They were too tall to make good transplants and have done poorly. Now they are 1 month in the ground and a facing rising night time temperatures making fruit setting difficult. I expect 1/3 the harvest originally planned (and will not attempt a fall crop).

• Peppers. Standing water and poor transplants are the culprit. Only the store bought seedling look like they will produce.
• Cabbage. The early planting of Gonzales froze and was partially replanted with Rubicon (a Chinese variety). Now with temps reaching 90 F it must be harvested to avoid a bitter flavor. Maybe 1/2 the row looks good, but will be harvested just a bit early and will have smallish heads.
• Squash. Less than 1/2 of the row has survived high wind and standing water. Squash bugs are present. Need to do the floating row cover. It would protect them from bugs and wind.

In Doubt:

• 

  Carrots. Had low germination. Used the planting wheel. Small seeds are difficult. Next year will buy pelletized seed.

• Okra. Saved seed did not germinate well. Need to replant blank areas. Still plenty of time to turn this around.
• Melons. Standing water is a problem. Heavy rain and poor drainage is issue. Cultivation made difficult because we used weed laden soil to try to build up this low spot in the garden. The melon patch is full of Johnson grass. The melons are running now.
• Asparagus. Looks like some rows have been choked out by weeds. The small plants that did emerge were covered with Johnson grass. I have almost cleared the weeds.