Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[saysfaa]

Can sweet peas be planted in West Michigan?

They grow wild all over but are hard to get started where they aren't growing. My dad tried or knew of people who tried many times with local wild stock. I tried last year with a commercial seed packet. We all failed completely. Probably, there is some simple thing we missed but we still haven't figured out what it is.

 

[1muttsfan]

Only thing about ornamental peas is that they can be invasive, mine require frequent attention to keep them from overgrowing the whole garden. They spread both by seeds and by runners. They are beautiful, though, and the bees like them, only reasons they are still here.

 

[Dreamzchaser]

Sure, they are cool climate plants and can be put out as soon as the soil warms up a little. They are easy to grow from seeds.

That is one green thing that I can eat,lol

 

[Sally PB]

That is one green thing that I can eat,lol

Plant sweet peas to look at, and snap peas (the ones you eat the shell too) or shell peas (the ones you don't eat the shell) to eat. Just know which is which.

Come to think of it... all the edible peas I've grown have had white flowers, and Aunt Lou's sweet peas were pink and purple flowers.

 

[Dreamzchaser]

Now I am so confused about the sweet peas,lol I dxo not eat a lot of them but I can cook warm them up with butter and eat some or make chicken or shrimp with them and I can eat some. Not my favorite but I can at least put them in my mouth and swallow them. Not really this brand, I got these at a sale but these are the ones I was talking about. No I do not eat green beans nor anything green unless is an avocado, Here is a pic of a can.

 

[Dreamzchaser]

Hope all is well for everyone. Seems like some are getting snow these days. It is super windy. Hub helped me this morning to clean the run. These girls can really make a mess big time. Papa Pitbull is doing fine. He is eager to land on any hen,lol They are not having it at all. They are still separated because I put his cage inside the coop so they could see each other but P2 stuck her head in to fight him and she had a bloody crown. I brought her in, cleaned her, put corn starch to stop the bleeding and gave her a full spa. She was so clean and smelled so good. She love being blow dried and pampered,lol She has been doing really good. After a day, I let them all loose in the yard and I was with them. Papa Pitbull just tried to get close to the sebrights but they were not paying attention to him at all. So cute how he danced for them. I think he really like lil mama as well as Monica (pelosi) because he chased her all around the whole yard and she kept running away. I tried the Wyndottes back with the gang but they did not worked, so yesterday since they were so mean to lil mama, I put them with Pitbull. They were running from him for a while but then they went up to roost and I guess made believe they were sleeping, , so he had no other choice but to go to sleep too. But he slept right next to them. This morning they are ok in the same part of the run but he is not chasing the wyndottes and they stay away from him too. Close but not too close,lol If he does mates with them, I am not letting them keep the eggs at all. I do not want any wyndottes at all.
However, Pitbull is getting a little used to me. He knows that with the shovel, everyone goes in and he knows he goes in the far back of the run. He is eating and drinking fine. He is so cute! He did scratched me at the beginning but not too deep right on the chest. He is learning that I do bring them all treats and is accepting me a little.
The other girls were very stressed when the wyndottes were with them that barely laid any eggs but today they all laid and they look more relaxed.
I had not done the spring clean up in the back cage but glad iut was done this morning. We raked all the straw to the outer borders but they have already messed it all up. It is a dual exercise for both,lol
I am done with appointments this week. I just have to call them to let them know that I have received some equipment they sent and for them to help me set it up. This way, they get my bp readings automatically every day instead for calling every week for the numbers.
So, I am ready to sit back down to continue with my chrochet for the June activity and later on, check on the girls and Pitbull. I really want to bring him with the other girls but do not want any other bloody mess. Will see. It takes time and payience and I have no other choice but to wait because I want baby Sebrights/Cubalaya. Glad the Sebrights are not Puertoricans,lol That would be a terrible mix of genes,lol Both are too strong.
However, I would not mind a Pitbull for a week,lol

Yes, I named him Papa Pitbull. Pitbull not as a dog breed but as the Cuban Reggaeton Singer. I am not really a fan of his music nor videos because I they are too sexual for my taste but here is one not too bad with the salsa Puertorican singer Mark Anthony.

 

[Sally PB]

Plant sweet peas to look at, and snap peas (the ones you eat the shell too) or shell peas (the ones you don't eat the shell) to eat. Just know which is which.

Now I am so confused about the sweet peas,lol I dxo not eat a lot of them but I can cook warm them up with butter and eat some or make chicken or shrimp with them and I can eat some. Not my favorite but I can at least put them in my mouth and swallow them. Not really this brand, I got these at a sale but these are the ones I was talking about. No I do not eat green beans nor anything green unless is an avocado, Here is a pic of a can.

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"Sweet peas" usually refers to the flowers that make inedible peas. That's what the flowers are called, and they smell great.

The edible kind are usually called "snap" or "snow" (two different kinds), if you eat the shell too. "Shell" peas are the kind that you take out of the shell to eat. They are also called "garden" peas, to differentiate from the flower ones.

Yes, it's very confusing! Why that can was called sweet peas... maybe so moms could get their kids to eat them because "they're sweet, see kids, it says on the label!"

 

[1muttsfan]

The garden peas you get in a can or from a freezer are shell peas. They are removed from the pod and cooked. The other edible peas are edible pod peas, which have many names, including Snow, Snap, Sweet Snow and others. They can be eaten raw or cooked (such as in stir frys). They are both annuals (do not survive the winter).

The nonedible ones are perennial ornamental peas, which can confusingly enough also be called sweet peas, are grown for their beauty and scent, and can be invasive and hard to control.

 

[saysfaa]

Oh. "Sweet peas" means the wildflowers to me... one of my favorite flowers.

The cans labeled "sweet peas" have ingrediants: peas, water, sugar, and salt.

The peas used grow easily around here.

I planted the first of them yesterday and will plant more about every ten days for a month or so to extend the season. I'm late getting the first ones in this year. The last plantings don't often do well unless it is a very cold year.

People sometimes plant a fall crop of peas also.

Good luck with yours.

Edit: opps, I gave the bean varieties I like so just deleted. I don't have a favorite pea variety. My mom liked Little Marvel.

 

[Dreamzchaser]

ok, so I need to get shell peas or pod peas to plant? Are they sweet? I do not want to eat the pod. I can get them out and cook them. Would it be the same as the can? Probably not but those are the only that I eat. I am a complete basket case,lol