hmmm, I had some beloved geraniums that I took cuttings from, and the tips fell over same as your peas. I just happened to pick up one of the fallen tips, and there rolled up in a tiny piece of leaf was.....a worm. Next time you have something drop, take it and very gently examine the leaf. Once I found out what it was, I used Sevin dust, but of course my plants are not meant to be eaten, and they are in pots.

Lathyrus chloranthus. Joe

Here's what I do - it takes time, but way less energy than digging. Stockpile heavy corrugated cardboard (appliance and furniture boxes are great, but the grocery store is a good source also) and an organic mulch that you won't mind looking at for a growing season. (My personal choice is natural wood chips or shavings, but chopped leaves will work also. I avoid dyed mulch since it's hard to judge what has been camouflaged by the dye.) Mow the area really short or clip or hoe it to ground level. Cover the area with the cardboard with overlaps - no gaps at all, and cover the edges with something to weigh it down - bricks, heavy chunks of wood, etc. Cover the cardboard with at least 4 inches of mulch and water well to settle it. The combination of cardboard and mulch will smother your weeds and then will over time decompose to give you soil of wonderful quality. Wait a year to plant - and watch like a hawk during that year, pulling any tiny sprig of green that might emerge. Resist the temptation to plant now since gaps in the mulch will allow your persistent weeds to regrow. During the year you can plan how you will plant it. To get ideas, visit public gardens, wander around neighborhoods with gardens you like, go on garden tours, and visit nurseries over the course of the season, not just in spring. If you really need to plant, you can put out pots of annuals or even of perennials & shrubs hardy to 2 zones colder than you are (if the pots are frost-proof.) If you are planning vines for your fence, you can shop for or create your trellises. If you don't have an edging that discourages the lawn from entering your beds, you can do that also, either a cut edge or an edging that is buried to keep the grass in the lawn. So if you do this now, you can plant the bed next spring. Just pull aside the mulch, plant, and tuck back in without piling mulch against the stems. Since you will have chive and sweet peas seeds that may have survived, watch for them and pull immediately. Or spread corn gluten around the plants you put in - it's a natural discourager of seed sprouting, but won't affect your newly planted plants. I'd love to see an after photo when you've got it planted!

I planted a couple of rows of peas yesterday and had every intention of planting another 4 rows today. Unfortunately, it's raining. This is the earliest I have ever planted them, but I know they will be fine. I had a horticulturist tell me many years ago that peas could be planted in Edmonton by mid April in any year and last year, in my MG course, we discussed this, too. Our instructor said much the same thing. You shouldn't have any problems with them, Michele. Normally, my sweet peas are the first seeds that I plant. I haven't got all of mine in yet, but I did seed a basket full of a compact variety. Shauna