Fall Planting of Peas

Raindrops on a leaf of Russian Red Kale

Last night we got the blessing of rain.  It's been an extremely dry July with no measurable rain at all.  This always makes people who live on Gulf Islands very nervous as we get so many visitors during those hot dry months who think nothing of tossing aside a live cigarette stub.  There's already been one emergency at the ferry terminal which was thankfully quickly extinguished!  But last night we got rain - and rain which actually sank into the ground.  That made today an excellent day to plant the fall crop of snow peas.

I didn't have enough of the snow peas I planted last spring - Oregon Sugar Pod II - and wasn't able to find more of them at Buckerfields in Nanaimo.  Instead, I purchased a package of Sugar Lace II which is a snap pea.  Not quite the same as a snow pea, but it'll do.  The Sugar Lace package says it's a "good candidate for fall harvests" and has "sweet, stringless pods...borne on 24-inch semi-leafless vines".  Sounds like it will work.

Bed prepared for planting

I prepared the spot where the garlic had grown by removing some soil which I tossed on one of the new 4x4 beds, adding a wheelbarrow load of SeaSoil and turning it over.  The zig zag fence was once again brought into action and staked in place.  Homemade fertilizer was spread and scratched in where the peas would be planted.  The Oregon Sugar Pod II snow peas were planted at the front of the zig zag fence and the Sugar Lace II took the back portion.  I think I left a blank area which will help me remember which is which.  I hope the snap peas are as delicious as the snow peas are.  I guess we'll soon see!