I'm placing several orders for things for the fall garden and thought I'd go ahead and order for the winter too (these peas would be planted in Jan.) and was wondering if anyone has a recommendation on which type is best. I've not grown them before and would appreciate y'alls input.

I think I grew them by accident. I saved one pea's pods that had pretty pink blossoms and planted those and now I have a whole fence of pretty pink peas, which I think are sugar snap.

If that is the case, I'd be happy to send you some seed later on. They are setting pods now and they sure look flat.

Maggie

Ummm....In my limited experience, the term "sugar snap" refers to edible garden peas, pisum sativum, that can be eaten, pods and all, or allowed to grow to maturity and then shelled and eaten or frozen. While I have heard that some varieties of pisum sativum have purple flowers, I've never seen anything but white blossoms on the Alaska and Little Marvel varieties that I grow.

Peas with colored flowers are called sweet peas, "lathyrus odoratus" and the flowers smell very nice and they make nice floral arrangements as well...but they are also quite toxic.

I hope someone with more knowledge than I will chime in.

Snap peas were developed about 1979. I believe they were a cross between snow peas and regular peas. They have more food per vine than either of the older types, since you can eat the entire pod no matter how mature it is. I've also only seen white flowers.

There are several different varieties. You can try them all in the next few years and see which you like best. I always return to the original, "Sugar Snap", which won the All America selection, because none of the others seem to be as productive for me. Some are shorter, some are more resistant to mildew, some have few leaves, or are stringless, etc.

I've never cooked snap peas, just eaten them raw.

We've grown several varieties. We grow two varieties now - Regular sugar snap peas on the trellises and Sugar Lace two (Gurneys) in rows, The sugar lace are self supporting and grow at the top. My husband prefers them to the ones on the trellises. We plant them in late September in this climate. Any planted in spring just feed the birds.

mindwing

It's been a few years but the original Sugar Snap worked best when I used to grow them. The season is real short around hattiesburg though.

Maggie, it was late when I posted my reply and I wasn't as clear or direct as I should have been.

I am worried that your pink flowering "sugar snaps" are actually toxic sweet peas and am cautioning you to be sure before you eat any or pass along the seed as edible sugar snap peas.

I too have had the best results with the Sugar Snap variety. These grow very tall and will require something to climb on. I use bean towers made of metal and string. They need to be grown in cool temps; heat will do them in. Very tasty and prolific.. they are a favorite in my garden. Good luck!

Thanks y'all! Just reading/talking about them makes me want some NOW!

The original sugar snap is my favorite, too, as most of the other types don't grow too tall. One that didn't do too well in my garden I got as a gift in a trade, and is supposed to be a dual purpose pea - pick it early as a snow pea, and let it mature for a sugar snap - Snow Sweet, from Johnnie's. Only 24", if that, and didn't really produce very much, right next to sugar snap and snow peas on either side, so it wasn't weather. Sounded good, though!

Dave

Eating a bowl of sugar snaps right now as I type... that's all I've ever grown. Has anyone tried Sugar Ann peas? They sound enticing to me.

Matt-choo, those are the ones I was wondering about. I see it too is an AAS winner and it was appealing b/c it didn't require building a support system. Maybe I'll do a side-by-side test this winter...regular Sugar Snap and Sugar Ann, see which one I like best.

I appreciate everyone's input!
Thanks, OB