Sugar Ann Snap Peas

Hey, can anyone out there please tell me when I can expect my Sugar Ann Snap Peas to grow pods and also once they've begun to grow how many days it will take for them to mature before I can to pick them? It's May 4th now and their flowers just began to bloom this week and the last. It's pretty temperate where I live here in southwestern Camarillo, California ( I'm in The Springs area- where we just had two days of unusually hot (for here) 90 degree weather due to the Santa Ana or Santana wind conditions and quite a frightening wildfire as well. In light of the past two days of heat the vines seem to be doing just fine however and because of their varietal advantage, my low patio wall makes the perfect ascending trellising structure for them as well (with no tangles!)My pea vines are growing in a low long wooden planter and are clinging to my townhome's low stucco patio wall. My patio gets able sunlight as it is southwest facing and on the other side of that wall there is a five foot high well maintained Hibiscus privacy hedge. So in a nutshell, from my Sugar Ann Snap's current flowering stage about how long will it take until I will be able to start picking the pods (days or weeks)?, how long should a mature pod stay on the vine before it needs to be picked (days)? and about how long can I expect it's harvest season to last (until what month)?

Kind Regards,
Picket Fence Girl,
Camarillo, California

Each plant has a mind of it's own and your micro climate matters too. I'd say about a week for the 1st ones to be big enough,depends on how big you like them. After the 1st ones get big enough, check daily. They will stop producing if the pods are left on the vine very long. They will produce as long as weather stays cool enough. Mulch heavily, water at night to let plant remain cool as long as possible. If it stays in the 90's for long and does not cool down at night, you could put some cheesecloth over vines to shield from the sun during the day.
Jo

Snap peas are hard to remain on our vines, wife and I go out to pick some for dinner salad.
We have none for the salad because we eat them all as we are pickin...
Pickin & Grinnin in the garden
The grow rapidly for us, I keep a cover over the vines in the mid day sun, they aren't fond of the heat.

littlejo wrote:Each plant has a mind of it's own and your micro climate matters too. I'd say about a week for the 1st ones to be big enough,depends on how big you like them. After the 1st ones get big enough, check daily. They will stop producing if the pods are left on the vine very long. They will produce as long as weather stays cool enough. Mulch heavily, water at night to let plant remain cool as long as possible. If it stays in the 90's for long and does not cool down at night, you could put some cheesecloth over vines to shield from the sun during the day.
Jo

Thanks Little Jo!
The hot winds only lasted two days (unusual weather in this zone for May) and in our microclimate here the hot east winds usually don't show up until some time around the month of September or early October. It is currently in the 60's here with humidity as light showers are soon approaching and it should remain the same over the next few days.Your advice about watering at night and using cheesecloth during the day sounds like a great idea so if the unusual conditions were to reoccur I'd be certain to employ your much appreciated suggestion. Thanks!

Two Questions:
1.Since I have flowers in the first week of May then about how long will those blooms last until the pods begin to grow?

2.Once the first pods have been picked about how long can I expect the harvest time last?

Kindest Regards,
Picket Fence Girl from Camarillo, California

1. Week to 10 days, sort of depends on Mother nature.

2. Should keep producing til the weather gets really hot, especially at night.

Keep the peas picked, especially when it gets hot. I know 1 yr here we had a fairly cool at night summer. I finally pulled the vines so I could put other stuff in. It was down in July, and I was tired of picking peas.
Jo

littlejo wrote:1. Week to 10 days, sort of depends on Mother nature.

2. Should keep producing til the weather gets really hot, especially at night.

Keep the peas picked, especially when it gets hot. I know 1 yr here we had a fairly cool at night summer. I finally pulled the vines so I could put other stuff in. It was down in July, and I was tired of picking peas.
Jo

Thanks Jo! Maybe I shall have peas until September then and in that case I suppose I'll just freeze them as I go!

Kindest Regards,
Picket Fence Girl

Our peas have been producing since the beginning of June & we have been thoroughly enjoying them. We've been picking them every day or two. Most of pods are now getting woody, even before the pods start filling in. We've had some hot days, & they are in full sun. Is that the problem? I've cut several plants way back to see if they start to regrow.

they just peter out, I would toss the old vines into the compost and plant anew. I love my sugar anns! 

 

Yep, it's that time of year. Most of the SFGers in the PNW forum have mentioned that their spring peas have petered out. It's time to pull them.

I'm presently converting this cold frame made last fall, loosening the soil and going to lay down about 10 inches of Mel's Mix

Going to plant sugar snap seeds as son as I complete it.
I'll cover them to keep heat out and frost also, golly I hate even thinking about frost now, we just got over it..
Also planting snap peas in other beds, taking careful watch on temps'
I did not have a chance to plant them  this spring, all effort was going into SFG.

sharonbmad wrote:Our peas have been producing since the beginning of June & we have been thoroughly enjoying them. We've been picking them every day or two. Most of pods are now getting woody, even before the pods start filling in. We've had some hot days, & they are in full sun. Is that the problem? I've cut several plants way back to see if they start to regrow.

yes pull them out and replant for a fall harvest.....our sugar snap peas that we replanted are just now poking thru  we love our sugar snap peas too!

happy gardening
rose

Hi all!

 My SS Peas pea-terd) out since it was hot quite early this year  ...as a result I've only gotten only blossoms! 

Kind Regards,
Picket Fence Girl

The good thing about peas is you can plant more for a fall harvest.