i live in SF city and this is the perfect time for my pea pods i can actually grow pea pods most of the year except in aug, sept and oct. nov and dec not enough sun, i don't think its too late my 6 plants are eight inches tall and in the ground starting to crawl up the supports, they were started from seeds last month, i have three plants just starting to flower and those were started in feb but slow until the last couple of weeks they just took off. i plant seeds every year and i save seeds , let some pods mature on the vine for next years crop . my lacinato kale is only 4 inches tall , but my collards , i've started havesting leaves every other week as we get more. not too for peas

I agree, start them around SF October-April and don't let worries about aphids ever deter you from any plant, they are preventable and fight-able easily and without chemicals, even if they are gross and annoying. That said, I've never had aphids on my snap peas in either north or south coastal CA. Only heat has ever prevented me from growing them.

I would suggest germinating them in place rather than in pellets, preferably after soaking the pea seeds for an hour or so.

Thank you all. Just transferred my seeds to the ground. Yes, in hindsight, I could easily put them in the ground directly since they were so so easy to germinate! I'll remember the next time!

Now I can wait and watch how it gets me juicy peas to eat!

Dicot : I know that ladybugs are a great natural way to get rig of aphids; what other ways do you know to prevent or fight them?

Thanks again!!

You can squirt the aphids with soapy water or use Safer spray.

Here is a link that might be useful: What's Growing On?

Those are both excellent, the hose alone is enough to knock them away and they can't crawl back up the vines. My #1 weapon is my fingers, I'm not too squeamish and I like that i don't kill any non-target critters that way. It's fairly effective, the ladybugs and lacewings get lots of the rest, but I use the soap where I can't reach or the infestation is severe. The soap can be washed off an hour later to avoid residues on your crops.

The next time you are at the garden center, pick up another package of seed. It's hard to find at planting time. I always plan on planting by Thanksgiving, however my plan usually goes awry. This year I planted peas over the Christmas weekend so I'm just now starting to pick peas. So far none of them have made it into the house.