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emcd124

Too late for peas in Z5?

emcd124
11 years ago

This is the first year I'm trying to grow peas. I planted them two weeks before our last frost date, because this year we had wickedly hard frosts right up until the LF date.

I had a few coming up, but then left for three week's vacation and now it seems something has eaten most of the pea shoots except one. And even that one is only about two inches tall.

I'm in Z5 in northern Indiana. I know that peas grow best in cool weather. I dont know how fast they mature. Can someone recommend whether it is worth me trying to replant peas at this point in time? or if it is too late and they would just mature in too hot weather and not really yield?

Comments (3)

  • denninmi
    11 years ago

    It's too late for the spring season, the heat and humidity will do them in. But, you can do a fall crop. Here in the Detroit area, I try to plant them around July 20th to July 25th. They need a little extra TLC during hot dry weather in terms of copious watering. If it's particularly humid weather, you may want to throw on a couple of fungicide sprays.

    And, remember, they will grow and mature a lot slower in the much shorter days of late Sept. and Oct, so try to pick earlier varieties, such as Maestro or Little Marvel for shelling peas, Cascadia is a really good snap pea for fall, the standard Dwarf Grey Sugar or Mammoth Melting Sugar for snow peas.

    But yes, it certainly can be done, I've had some of my BEST pea crops in the fall. Your planting date range would be the same as mine for all intents and purposes.

  • zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin
    11 years ago

    Ditto on Denninmi's comments.

    "Plant as soon as soil can be worked" is not always practical, nor does that necessarily mean 'early'. For me, unless I want to plant in mud, that usually means sometime in May, or even early June some years. I can usually get away with planting shelling peas late, and often do... they still do OK here planted late. You might still be able to get in a crop of an early variety.

    Snow peas, though, are another matter. They are pretty much out of the question this late; the pods will be small & tough if they develop in the heat, and the plants won't make it until Fall.

    Sugar snaps might do OK for awhile, but PM will generally do them in during the dog days.

    Snap peas have done particularly well for me planted in July. My favorite variety, "Sugar Lace", actually does better planted for Fall... I get better germination, and the pods are sweeter when they develop in cool weather.

    I got lucky this year; just saw the weather graphic & my part of the state is in a 'sweet spot' that has only had 30% of our normal May rainfall (and less than that locally). My heavy soil dried out early, so I was able to till early, and got most of my peas in on time. I just planted a few varieties for soup this week, though; soup peas are not as finicky about heat.

  • emcd124
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for the responses! I guess I'm still working out some of this timing stuff. I know there are a zillion guides, but it seems like there's more art to it than I realized. I've lived in Z5 midwest my whole life pretty much, but I only really started gardening the last two years when I lived in Z7 tennessee. There we had no cool anything except in the dead of winter, so I only really succeeded with hot season veggies, and these cool season guys are still a mystery to me.

    I'll look into the varieties you mention, because I'd really like some sugar snap peas and I'll mark my calendar for late july!

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