Well, I was going to pull the peas and string beans to make much needed space for tomatoes and peppers, but the cool temps that we've been having at night for the last few weeks here in Texas caused a growth explosion! The snap peas and bush beans started producing like crazy, and I've had an excellent harvest so far.
Snap peas growing happily in one of my raised beds. Image by Jennifer Capestany.
The snap peas are especially killin' it. I literally have to harvest every day because of their super fast growth. For those interested these are Tendersweet snap peas. I picked up a packet of seeds from a local nursery. The brand is Botanical Interests. The package said that these don't require support, as they're a lower growing pea. I gave them cages to climb on anyway, and am glad that I did. They fruit heavily and would be laying over flat if I hadn't given them supports to climb on. It's also windy here most of the time. Just because a plant label says that it's okay to leave it unsupported doesn't mean that your average Texas gardener should heed this advice. Having said that, they don't seem to be growing as tall as I've seen other pea varieties, maybe about a foot tall and about as wide.
Close-up of the snap peas. Image by Jennifer Capestany.
The pods are crisp, sweet and have an excellent green, pea taste. Great for fresh eating! Lucky for my family that I grow organically, because no one here can pick these without eating a few straight off of the plant.
Snap pea bloom. Pea blooms tend to grow down-facing. Don't ask about the contortions it took to get this shot. Image by Jennifer Capestany.
I don't have the heart to pull such prolific producers. I'll just have to scrounge up some space elsewhere. It looks like our cool spell (an actual spring!) has likely ended. Perhaps I'll have my garden space soon after all. In the meantime, I'll be happily harvesting.
Me, holding up the snap peas that I harvested in just one day! Going to be eating a lot of peas. Image by Jennifer Capestany.
Author: Jennifer Capestany
Jennifer is a clinical herbalist and health coach, specializing in autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Her interest in plant medicine led Jennifer to spend years studying herbology, physiology, and nutrition. She works one-on-one with her clients via her herbalist and health coaching business, Prairie Hawk Botanica. Jennifer lives on a homestead in rural Texas with her husband, 2 children, and various animals. In her spare time she loves to be in her large herb and vegetable garden. Sharing herb knowledge and her love of natural healing with others is her calling. Steem and Bitcoin accepted.