they've sprouted, maybe we'll have some pods before the frosts. i'm hoping we have late frosts and they will do well. if anything they will be a cover crop. we've really enjoyed the peas this year and only regret we didn't plant more and years ago.
this garden is about 1.5m x 1.5m, raised bed and almost all clay (a little sand was added to it many years ago when it was set up as a perennial garden). it was used to grow green peppers the last two years (both years produced well). this year it had peas and mixed leaf lettuces. it did ok. the lettuces eventually bolted and i had to get them turned under.
which was a good chance to examine the soil to see how it was changing from the plant roots, the few holes where i'd put worms a few months ago and the light mulch of shredded paper i'd put on top to keep the lettuces from getting dirt splashed on them.
there was more evidence of fungal hyphae along the fractures of the clay as it crumbled. most of this was likely fed from the decaying shredded paper. the places where i'd put worms or where there were decayed roots from the peas or lettuces were more easily noticeable. no worms were found. probably too hot and not enough organic materials in there and they didn't have an easy way to get down deeper either.
i dug out four trenches down about 30cm and put down the bolted lettuces and whatever else on top that was organic and then on top of that put several kilos of worms, chopped up organic materials and worm poo. then buried them. i'm hoping they'll do ok this time. one trench i made deeper in the middle to give them a way to work down if it gets hot again. good luck little buddies. :) gotta make sure to get some green manure on there in a week and a half. then i planted plenty of peas on top.
this garden is right next to another garden of the same shape, height and soil and that has been treated a little differently to start with and will be examined later this fall after the volunteer squash plants are done.
other peas are in progress, but they are not pod peas, instead they are the round smooth kind you find in split pea soup. a small patch to increase the seed stock for next year. i like how they grow, they are quite cute with their many tendrils. i'm not sure they would be good fresh or not, i'll try a few when they plump up a little more.
the fun continues... :)
songbird