Thursday, March 3

Time to start Peas in Portland, Oregon

The weather has turned very wet and cold here so it is hard for me to even think about planting right now. However, I have been told by an experienced Portland gardener that it is time to plant peas. First on my agenda is removing the weeds that never seem to die in our milder climate.

We are growing the Oregon Sugar Pod II Snow Pea. It is a bush plant with 4-5 inch pods. I am also considering growing another type of pea as a green manure crop. This is an idea from the book I am reading (Gardening West of the Cascades). Steve Solomon suggests using peas this way because they break down the soil and add needed nutrients. He pulls the peas up in early summer and composts them when he is ready to plant.

I like this idea because peas are easy to grow and easy to remove.

What to do when it is just too Darn hot to Garden?

It has been a very hot summer everywhere. From what I have been told it is normal to get 100 plus days from the months here from  May to Oct...