Saturday, July 21

Mangetout

Last year we grew some Carouby de Maussane, mangetout peas. We were disappointed in that the plants that are supposed to grow to five feet just didn't seem to grow at all and the pods were disfigured. We decided that the dry conditions last year, (and we thought that was bad!), were hardly a good trial of any pea variety and so decided to give it another chance this year.
This year the peas have been slow to get going but have now almost reached the expected five feet and have started to crop. Note the rain drops!
In April the  first lots of seeds were sown in pots and then planted out as small plants. There was a point when we thought the plants weren't growing too well and so I sowed an outer ring of seeds directly in the ground forming an outer ring which you may be able to make out from the photo below.
Then - wouldn't you just know it - of course the earlier plants took off. Maybe the later sown plants will rear up to take over once the first lot are over. If so I think I may have invented a new growing technique!

Must admit I was attracted to the variety by the description in the seed catalogue "Tall growing mangetout variety with attractive purple flowers. Large pods up to 11cm long. Good sweet flavour. Height 150cm."

I have to say though so far I'm a bit disappointed by the flowers.

Although individually they are pretty they don't give the dramatic display that I probably unreasonably expected.
I say unreasonably as I know pea flowers don't tend to open fully.
There is a sort of flare of purplish red around the area where the leaves join the stems which adds a little more colour to the plant but ... they are nothing like this.
But then again sweet peas don't produce anything edible so I guess honours are pretty even.

18 comments:

  1. I think that is the variety i am planning to grow next year, did you just grow one wigwam worth of mangetout? I would be interested to know of your harvest.

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    1. Hi awpol,
      We have two wigwams and so far we have harvested just under half a kilogram - just two pickings so far.

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  2. My sweet peas are the only peas growing well in my garden at the moment. I'm wondering if sowing old seed was my mistake - it germinated oK but they've pretty much refused to grow since.

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    1. We had to make a second sowing of ordinary garden peas Liz as the first lot just wouldn't get going in spite of starting them in pots and planting them out - and they were new seeds.

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  3. That's an interesting way of growing peas. Do you add netting to the wigwam or do they latch on to the poles? xx

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    1. Net is wrapped round the bamboo, Debbie. Peas don't twine and the poles are too thick for the peas to grasp with tendrils. These are tall growing peas - we don't grow the short varieties in this way.

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  4. I grew this variety last year. I too was very disappointed in them. It sounds like they are doing better for you this year. How do they taste?

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  5. Well at least you are getting to harvest some peas. I didn't have any germinate this year, I thought about sowing more but never got around to it..i wonder if I'm too late now?!?!

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    1. I'd go for it Tanya - nothing to lose except the price of a packet of pea seeds.

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  6. I'm not terribly fond of mange tout - so haven't bothered to grow them but my ordinary peas have done really well this year - my sweet peas on the other hand are definitely underperforming and the petals are all marked with rain spots.

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    1. We're hoping to have some peas from our second lot sown directly, Elaine but no signs yet

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  7. Hope you get a good pea harvest; they look really good the way you have them growing. The sweet peas in the vase are really pretty. I only have everlasting sweet pea growing this year and they're very slow growing compared to previous years.

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    1. Oh so do I Kelli. WE once grew everlasting sweet peas but they took over. The scent from the ones I pick are lovely too - I always choose varieties with perfume.

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  8. Hope you have good harvest of peas!
    Their flowers are so colourful and vibrant!

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  9. Oh yes, I have sent you an award. Please feel free to take at my blog ;)

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    1. Thanks for the award malar - it's king on you to think of me. Must admit I can't think of 15 blogs that haven't already been mentioned either by you or in the past for the same award. I'll have a think and if I can come up with a list I will. I'll also visit some of the ones that you have mentioned that are new to me.

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