Question - peas & garlic

Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:33 am

I have two questions.

1) When snowpeas are done, will the plants die? It seems like mine keep producing and producing. I'd like them to hurry up and be done with so I can plant some corn there.

2) My garlic that I planted last fall - one of them is getting VERY thick - probably about as thick as three fingers. The others aren't that thick, but there's offshoots all up and down the stalks. I've never grown garlic before, are either of these things normal? I'm thinking I might not have any cloves and it's all fubar.

Mon Jun 04, 2012 2:46 am

The pea vines sort of start dying from the bottom up. Mine usually keep going until the very hot part of summer gets here. The are full-on right now! But yes they will die on their own. You may need to decide which you want more. Peas, or corn. If you're just done with the peas for now, I'd pull em and get the corn going before it gets too late. Being in NJ, you're pretty close to too late already. Time to make a decision and commit!

As far as the garlic goes, generally speaking in my experience, the thicker the stalk, the bigger the clove. But not always. You may want to pull the huge one because the bulb is probably already divided and you don't want the individual cloves to start sprouting. I'd leave the other ones alone. I planted last Nov and mine aren't ready to pull yet. I have used a few, but they're not divided and a little smaller than golf balls in size.

P.S. you can always try to clear the dirt around that large garlic plant to see what you have before you rip all the roots and everything. That way if it's not divided you can just leave it alone.

Mon Jun 04, 2012 2:57 am

Hey GardenRN! Thanks for the info.

I have two snowpeas - some mammoths and some heirlooms (I have now learned that mammoth now means TALL suckers, and not necessarily big pods, DOH!) and the mammoths are just starting to get going now since they were eaten down by the ground hog. The heirlooms appear to be finishing up...at least I'm not picking as much of them as I used to be. I know it is getting a bit late for corn, but I DID pass by my *favorite* NJ corn stand and they don't even have their corn coming up yet so I don't think I'm too late yet since theirs aren't coming up yet. I actually am surprised to not see much Jersey corn coming up yet. Just one field I've noticed coming up. Most aren't planted yet. What gives?

Mon Jun 04, 2012 4:37 am

I suspect the garlic is doing fine. I usually let it go until the leaves start to dry up before digging it.

Peas? Haven't grown that variety, but the peas I have grown will set a crop and once picked, the plants sort of sit there a while then bloom again. The second crop never matures as it always freezes them first.

In this country there is hardly time to get a corn crop after the peas. I suspect that you are fine there to plant corn now. I am thinking about planting a little more in about a week. That should give me 90 days till frost.

Mon Jun 04, 2012 2:58 pm

I definitely like corn more than I like peas....I love snowpeas but there's just something about fresh corn that makes my mouth water. I will have to see how the snowpeas do over the week...they look to be finishing up. Then I'll plant the corn. I usually take my cues from the farms around here for when to put the corn in.

Mon Jun 04, 2012 4:14 pm

I just peeked at the thick garlic...I don't think it quite looks ready to me. Not that I KNOW what ready looks like, but it doesn't look quite there. I didn't really know what I was doing when I planted garlic last year so I doubt it will produce. I can't even remember when I planted it! I will have to do it better this year.

Mon Jun 04, 2012 4:58 pm

there's always learning and new stuff, that's part of what makes it fun. This is my third year planting garlic and this is the first year any of mine got scapes. The look like cool little elf hats or something lol. Just sitting back and waiting to see what they do.

Mon Jun 04, 2012 9:30 pm

Yeah this is the first year I'm expanding to a lot of different things. I'm learning so much! it's so much fun to try new things and improve for next year.

Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:36 pm

What about sowing the corn between (or next to) the rows of peas -- is there room? You could leave the peas for another week or so while the corn comes up, then cut the peavines down and use as mulch. Where the peas are can become the path between corn rows.

At least this is the succession I WAS going to try experimenting with this year in my little space. In my case, though, I've fallen behind schedule and my sugarsnaps are basically done. :roll:

Thu Jun 07, 2012 2:10 am

applestar wrote:What about sowing the corn between (or next to) the rows of peas -- is there room? You could leave the peas for another week or so while the corn comes up, then cut the peavines down and use as mulch. Where the peas are can become the path between corn rows.

At least this is the succession I WAS going to try experimenting with this year in my little space. In my case, though, I've fallen behind schedule and my sugarsnaps are basically done.

I wish I could do that....but there's not really room. Where I planted the peas and where I intend to plant the corn is about a 3-4" space between the patio and my PVC fence - a natural planter! I'm actually amazed the corn grows at all there, but it did well there last year so I'm doing it there again this year. They can't really root that well, it drains super fast...really nothing should be able to grow there. I have to put potting soil down there each time. But well, it works! How? I dunno. I also have little trellises that will have to come after the snows are done (they're pretty much done now, the peas that are coming in are tiny and shrivelly) so it will get all messy with the corn. There really is no space for "rows" - there is just ONE row! I do know that peas and corn go well together though bc of the chemistry. Anyway, I plan to remove the peas this weekend and plant the sweet corn. It is a quick maturing one so should do fine.

Thu Jun 07, 2012 3:39 am

Corn seems to grow anywhere even in rough ground or new grond so maybe there is another area! I started my peas with onions in a 4 by 8 cold frame several weeks earlier that I would in the open garden. For that reason m peas will be done sooner. Cold frames make great gardens ater the cold is done! I ave 6 cold frames that were very productive this year!
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Why don't you grow the peas and corn together earlier since the corn will hold up the peas and probably grow better especially if the corn is in the sun side! Companion planting sometimes produces both crops better. Pea do put nitrogen in the soil for the corn! Even climbing beans and corn grow good together!

Thu Jun 07, 2012 11:16 am

Bobberman wrote:Corn seems to grow anywhere even in rough ground or new grond so maybe there is another area! \

Why don't you grow the peas and corn together earlier since the corn will hold up the peas and probably grow better especially if the corn is in the sun side! Companion planting sometimes produces both crops better. Pea do put nitrogen in the soil for the corn! Even climbing beans and corn grow good together!

That is true! I have traveled all over the world and am surprised where I have seen corn grow.

I guess I could try planting the corn earlier. I guess I've always heard snowpeas like it cold and corn likes it hot so there's no in between!

I did plant my peruvian giant and my melons together this year (the person in TN growing the Peruvian Giant Corn suggested this).

Thu Jun 07, 2012 12:57 pm

In Pa. here they plant corn very ealy using a clear plastic for the firs two weeks! We usually have local corn selling here by the first of july! The super sweet cor that sells in the stores now is so good and holls its sweetness for longer makes it too me waste of time for me to plan corn or to just put in maybe 10 dozen! Corn does take alot of room!

Thu Jun 07, 2012 2:15 pm

Bobberman wrote:In Pa. here they plant corn very ealy using a clear plastic for the firs two weeks! We usually have local corn selling here by the first of july! The super sweet cor that sells in the stores now is so good and holls its sweetness for longer makes it too me waste of time for me to plan corn or to just put in maybe 10 dozen! Corn does take alot of room!

Wow! You'd think Jersey would pick up on that. We're not that far from PA. I live out in the rural area of Jersey and have to drive through A LOT of it (I own and train horses on weekends) and notice a LOT of corn fields. I haven't seen any even planted yet. Dunno whats up with the farmers in my area this year.

Thu Jun 07, 2012 2:35 pm

I'm right around the corner, more or less, and the corn fields here have been in since mid May. It's at least a foot tall, in most fields. You have time, but I would get it in soon. Granted feed corn ripens a little later, but you're still looking at 3 months, depending on your seed.