I Learned A New Trick

For those of us which just love fresh snow peas, we all know the season is short while the plants are fruiting and it always seems like you get very little to harvest. Now we do get lots of vines, but little actual harvest from all those vines. So earlier this year I was reading my grandmothers old gardening book and she mentioned "Trim back the snow peas to 4". A little research on this and I find out other old-timers mention this also. When the vines are around 6" tall, trim them back to about 3-4". The results... the vines grow back into a fuller bush type of plant, thus you get more blossoms,

which results in more harvest. It works!

Comments

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    I've done something similar. I usually hand prune any leaves that yellow and the stems they are attached to - definitely more productive.

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Good to know.

    I tried organic growing of snow peas once in my tiny garden. I only had a 3 foot row of peas and killed in excess of 100 cabbage worms, most with my bare hands! I managed to get some pods but never tried again.

    (Oh, I so hate cabbage worms and squash bugs! I literally cheered once when I noticed a crane fly on the wall of my house with its captured squash bug.)

  • DeeperEating
    DeeperEating Posts: 63 ✭✭✭

    Interesting. Will definitely be trying this. I already do some trimming because I love to eat the growing tendrils at the top of the plant. They are great for salads!

  • Leslie Carl
    Leslie Carl Posts: 255 ✭✭✭✭

    This same trick works with bell peppers also. 😊

  • silvertipgrizz
    silvertipgrizz Posts: 1,990 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I do so appreciate this info. I know that can be done with other plants, but I only remember that you can do it with the Moringa tree. I will research this for next spring.

    There are you tube videos on killing squash bugs, stopping them before they kill the plant and how to keep them out of the base of the stalk. I have not tried it yet but if I get my squash planted in time next spring I will try that as well.

  • pamelamackenzie
    pamelamackenzie Posts: 143 ✭✭✭

    Thanks for the tip. I love snow peas. I never seem to plant enough. I tend to eat them straight from the plant and have to plant lots to have enough for any to make it into the house.

  • deejcve
    deejcve Posts: 10 ✭✭✭

    Thanks for this tip not only for snow peas but also for the green peppers!

  • greyfurball
    greyfurball Posts: 591 ✭✭✭✭

    @shllnzl , the first time I read your comment about cabbage worms on your snow peas I was confused since I have never heard of cabbage worms on the snow peas plant before. just wanted to check around and see if anyone else I could find has this problem also and I never came up with anything. Where do you live( the state and approximate area of that state -I don't mean your specific address)?

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @greyfurball At the time I was living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Now, in S. Utah, I have found cabbage worms on a landscape plant. I also have to contend with desert snails (who knew?)

    My best guess is that the cabbage butterflies will lay on anything supple if they do not have cabbage in the area.

  • greyfurball
    greyfurball Posts: 591 ✭✭✭✭

    @shllnzl then my best guess from your location is they must be very, very thirsty and anything is better than nothing, since both of your locations are a hot and dry area. As they say, anything can become acclimated to their location if they don't have their ideal close by!

    It just doesn't seem fair to you though, you're out of their area but you're still stuck with them!

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @greyfurball I try to remind myself that the cabbage butterfly is a butterfly after all. I have wildflowers for other butterflies.

    These problematic butterflies probably were brought to the desert areas with nursery plants and have since colonized. That is how I got squash bugs into my garden in the early days.

  • bkpelfrey
    bkpelfrey Posts: 23 ✭✭✭

    I had never heard this but I do have the same issue with a lot of vines but little "fruit" so to speak. I will definitely have to try this with my next crop. Thanks.

  • Hassena
    Hassena Posts: 345 ✭✭✭

    Thanks for the tip! Snow peas are delish. So are peppers. Sharpening my pruning snips. :)

  • gennywu
    gennywu Posts: 96 ✭✭✭

    Here in California we can grow snow peas as a winter crop. I will give this trick a try. Eating the young shoots will be an extra bonus.