skip to main content

Cottage Gardens

Sweet Peas - When can pea pods be harvested?

14 years ago

There are sweet peas (every imaginable color) growing on a street corner not far from where I live, surrounding a county building. I have been going there on the weekends and picking them to bring home and put in vases! I noticed that the pea pods have formed. The plants are no where near dead. When is the right time to take the pea pods and will the pods open on their own or does one have to open them to let the seeds out?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

libbyshome
14 years ago
When the pods turn light brown and no green shows.
The pods will begin to split open at their seams as they dry. That's the best time to harvest the peas.

Libby
midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
14 years ago
Are these everlastings, or perennials ie, need to be known
by these perimeters

Cheers.
Related Discussions
When to harvest peas?
Q
Comments (1)
Look for the peas to plump out in the shell. With the sun behind them, you can see into the pod. Sometimes the shell looks big enough, but the peas are still small inside. Don't wait till the pods are turning whiter or they won't be sweet. Pick one at different stages to find out. Experience is the best guide. I grew my first peas in a clay pot on my front steps, before I had my first garden. Each pod was a treasure. Thanks for the memories.
...See More
Zipper Cream Peas - when to harvest
Q
Comments (5)
I grow Pink Eye Purple Hulls and treat them the way Farmerdill does... until they get ahead of me and then I treat them the way Dave does! I've only been growing southern peas for a couple of years and at first we were hesitant to try the method with salt pork (you know, the endless diet-watch) but this year I did it thinking "eh, it's just one slice of salt pork for a big pot, can't be too bad." Totally different flavor with the salt pork than the butter! Both good, though. I also did something last year where I boiled them tender, drained, then added them to a pan where I had sauteed onion, garlic, and hot pepper (all from the garden of course!) in olive oil. We quite liked that, too. Enjoy them!
...See More
difference between sweet pea and edible pea?
Q
Comments (52)
I've found out now as I have both growing. The pods on sweet peas are covered in downy hair and if you touch them and lock your fingers there is a bitter taste. Edible pea pods have a smooth skin and there is a flower but it's not the main event.
...See More
When to harvest Whipporwill peas?
Q
Comments (3)
Thanks DarJones! I have the old, tan with speckles pea. Are the dried beans just significantly less tasty? I'm wondering if I can store some that way to eat on over the next several months, or if I'd be better off picking the green ones and just freezing the excess?
...See More
duluthinbloomz4
14 years ago
Producing seeds uses a lot of the plant's energy. This is one of the reasons you might not get mature seeds from cut flowers. The plant needs to be able to gather food while it is developing seeds, and the seedpod needs to remain attached to the parent plant until the seeds are fully developed.

Don't want to start anything because people set their own standards for flower picking and seed gathering activities in places that are not their own; but municipal plantings, parks, arboretums, greenhouses, garden centers, other people's yards, etc. etc. shouldn't be regarded as a free for all. :-)
ianna
14 years ago
They won't come out true to it's parents form, but you will have some surprising variations.

Related Stories

COOL-SEASON CROPS Cool-Season Vegetables: How to Grow Peas

By Marianne Lipanovich

Their sweetness isn't just for spring. Peas thrive in cool weather too, adding a garden-fresh note to soups, salads and more through fall

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING World of Design: 10 Home Gardeners Show Us Their Sweet Summer Harvests

From New York to Tokyo, these gardeners have turned their yards, terraces and rooftops into places of bounty

GARDENING GUIDES 11 Favorite Edibles for Your Cool-Season Garden

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant crunchy carrots, crisp radishes, tender peas and other vegetables for fall and spring harvests

GARDENING GUIDES Maximize Harvests With Square-Foot Gardening

By Abundant City

This efficient edible-gardening technique can help people who are short on space

MOST POPULAR Thanksgiving Tales: When the Turkey Tanks

By Mary Jo Bowling

Houzz readers prove adept at snatching victory from the jaws of entertaining defeat

LIFE When You're Suddenly Solo at Home

Whether you stay in a home alone or move on, these strategies from professional organizers can help you with the process

EDIBLE GARDENS 6 Summer Edibles That Can Really Take the Heat

By Steve Asbell

When garden temperatures soar, these herbs and vegetables rise to the challenge

MOST POPULAR How to Start a Cool-Season Vegetable Garden

By Marianne Lipanovich

Late summer and late winter are good times to plan and plant cool-season crops like salad greens, spinach, beets, carrots and peas

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow Your Own Sweet Summer Crops

By Marianne Lipanovich

This guide will help any gardener get started on growing the freshest warm-season veggies and berries for summer

FUN HOUZZ What You Do When There’s No One Around

By Karen Bofinger

Ice cream binges, air guitar concerts, napping in the closet. Houzzers worldwide disclose their quirky secret indulgences

Sponsored