TOM THUMB SHELLING PEA (Pisum sativum) is a rare heirloom with limited availability that dates back to the 1800s and can be grown in pots. In fact, its fun to start several attractive pots and bring directly to the table for guests to snack on! Plants are able to withstand hard frosts down to 20 degree F. Good for cold frame production as well and can even be grown in your tabletop hydroponics system. Shell type. 50-55 days. 25 seeds.
ABOUT PEAS: There are three types of peas -- snap, shell and snow -- and each is worth growing because there is simply nothing that compares to fresh peas and you simply won't be able to find them in the grocery store. In fact, peas are one of the best reasons to have a home garden! Children love to pick them and eat them right in the garden like candy! As their name suggests, shell peas must be shelled to reveal the little round jewels inside. Both Snap and Snow peas have edible pods and are used both fresh and in cooking. Children are also great at shelling. If you have grown too many peas, freeze them or make soup or another dish and freeze that. Don't forget to leave some peas on the vine to dry - either for winter use or as seed for fall sowing.
GROWING PEAS: Peas are perhaps the earliest vegetable you will sow in your garden, so preparing a bed for them in the fall makes sense. Peas like a raised bed prepared with compost. Peas are light feeders but still appreciate a well-prepared bed. Depending on your weather calendar, sow peas as early as February, March or April. Soaking overnight before planting will give them a head start. Don't forget that, as with all legumes, peas will perform better if they are "inoculated" as you plant them. As soon as you plant, also put up your pea support structure. I am fond of a simple stake and string netting which I make myself. Because many times its easier to take down the netting completely and pull off the old tendrils for the compost heap, why waste money on a commercial one only to have it destroyed each year? Just use 1" x 1" stakes to a height appropriate to the pea you will be growing (works as well for cucumbers and other light climbers). insert your two side stakes, every 2 feet then lash stakes to the top (be sure they are very securely lashed, or nail them to the top. From this uppermost structure you will tie long strings every 2-3" and let dangle and drape over the ground. Then starting at the top of the side, tie a string on the left support and loop it over each hanging string, forming a series of blocks. When you reach the next support, wrap or tie and when you reach the last support tie securely. Repeat this all the way down the side stakes and you will soon have a wonderful, strong, inexpensive pea fence. I never seem to plant enough peas, but if you have never grown them before, start modestly, because peas must be picked daily - sometimes twice daily - to keep them producing to their maximum.
CHERRYGAL HEIRLOOM GARDEN SEEDS & PLANTS offer hundreds of heirloom and vintage open-pollinated varieties. Most have histories dating back centuries and are tried and true producers. Some are rare, or threatened with extinction. When you grow a plant from heirloom seed and save that seed, you are participating in a practice that goes back for generations. Our grandparents and their grandparents grew these varieties. Often the seeds were prized possessions carried to the New World when they emigrated.
Ever notice how most seed catalogs require you to buy (and pay for) much more seed than you could ever possibly use in a season? If you have a budget for garden seeds, this limits your choices! Although seeds can be viable for longer than one growing season, it requires that they be stored at a consistent temperature and humidity. Few of us do this. CherryGal sizes its seed packets for the home gardener, because we know you may want to grow 5 different lettuces, or three different corns, and don’t want to have to take out a second mortgage to do so! But at the prices most stores and catalogues charge, if you sample 20 different vegetables, herbs and flowers you will be spending $50 - $70! But, the same seeds at CherryGal.com will probably run around $25. CHERRYGAL SEEDS ARE A TREMENDOUS BARGAIN!
Another important reason to grow a large variety of plants is that one of the chief culprits in honey bee colony collapse disorder seems to be that their immune systems are weakened by the prevalence of mono-cropping. In other words, bees pollinating only one variety crop have a diet equivalent to eating only bread. Growing an abundant variety of vegetables, herbs and flowers will help sustain our precious honeybees!
All seeds offered are FRESH stock, with high germination rates, tested by the growers and myself. Varieties are specially selected for home gardeners. If you want the flavor you remember from grandma's kitchen garden or the beauty of her cottage flowers, choose CHERRYGAL HEIRLOOM SEEDS.
ABOUT OPEN-POLLINATED SEEDS . . . All CherryGal Heirloom Seeds are heirlooms (dating at least 100 years) or vintage (mid-20th Century or older) varieties, with an occasional modern variety included which I believe merits special attention. All CherryGal Heirloom Seeds are OPEN-POLLINATED. This means saved seed will be true to the parent. Don't be dazzled by the never-ending array of hybrid seeds promoted by gardening suppliers. First, seeds from that produce will not grow true to the parent -- you have to keep buying the hybrid seed (get the picture?). Second, most hybrids are developed for market – not home -- growers with an emphasis on extended shelf life, storage and shipping qualities -- NOT flavor, texture and all those other elements that home growers seek.
All CHERRYGAL HEIRLOOM SEEDS come from reputable growers (most of them small farms) and wherever possible ORGANIC suppliers (so noted). By buying CHERRYGAL SEEDS you are supporting the growing worldwide movement of SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE and with a little practice you will be able to save even more money in the future by growing open-pollinated varieties and saving seed for next year.
Please Note: CherryGal Heirloom Seeds are guaranteed to be fresh stock, but are not guaranteed as to results (sorry - we wish we could, but there are too many variables in gardening) so please do not ask to return. However, we think you will be pleased and would like to hear about your gardening success!
SHIPPING: I endeavor to ship my seeds as quickly as possible - usually within 24 - 48 hours. During peak seed season (January - June) this timeframe can stretch to a week or more because of heavy volume of sales. I do the best I can and fulfill orders in the order received. If a variety is on back order with a supplier and not likely to available for a week or longer, you will be advised and given the opportunity to substitute or cancel with refund. I package my seeds for shipping in a manner appropriate to the amount and type of seed - larger orders and larger seeds require more packaging. Whether you choose first class mail or priority shipping, your seeds will ship using a delivery confirmation number which will be supplied to you. Our checkout system is keyed to the US Postal System. For small seed orders, I recommend choosing FIRST CLASS mail at checkout. Larger orders (over 13 ounces) can ship either parcel post, though you may find PRIORITY MAIL actually to be less expensive. (I gave up trying to figure out the US Postal System rates a long time ago).
Lastly, I appreciate all my CherryGal.com customers, but have a special affinity for my seed customers. If you have a problem, please email me, using the contact links that are all over the website. Calling is likely to be a frustrating experience, as I do not have the staff to answer the phone and gave up my message system a long time ago because I was spending too much time answering messages instead of shipping and finding/growing wonderful things for my customers. But your email will be promptly responded to.
|
