Yesterday, I picked the first ones. Looked at them Friday afternoon and thought there would be a double handful ready to pick by Sat. afternoon. Got out there Sat. and picked almost 1/2 bushel. Hot sunshine days makes them turn faster. I'll have a bushel or more ready by Monday. Next couple of weeks gonna be spent putting up peas.

I hate picking peas. Hard on my already bad back. I don't mind shelling them though. Most have gone to an electric sheller, even have a neighbor that would shell mine for me, but I always just shell them by hand. Brings back memories of helping my mom put up stuff after she got older. miles

"Bless your little pea-pickin' heart!"

Hey Yank, I'm from Dixie, and I know what that means...

Miles, we shelled that little bit by hand, but come Monday, I'll get the 'letrik' sheller out.

Just quoting Tennessee Ernie. No harm meant.

There was suppose to be a smiley face following the one that's there. I figured you wus joking, no offense taken.

Just jerking the old string.

My purple hull peas are about a month away from producing. It's been real dry here, and I've been watering the garden. My wife and I went to the garden right after we got home from church yesterday and picked about a bushel or so of Blue Lake green beans. Spent the better part of the afternoon snapping them. We'll can them today, probably have 3 cannings.

I don't mind picking peas, but hate shelling them. Eating them is the best part of all.

We used an electric sheller last year... VERY IMPRESSIVE...

We have a Taylor pea sheller going on 30+ years. It's the big one. Replaced the rollers 1 time I'm sure of and today I replaced the electric cord. It's the old model with the rounded belt guard. If you're gonna grow very many peas, it's the only way to go.

Many years ago I had several long rows of butter beans, and they were ready to pick when it was July and pushing 100 degrees. Remember I was sitting on a little chair with a umbrella taped to the back and going down the rows by myself. Finally got over them, but the next picking I pulled the vines and put them on a trailer and got in the shade and picked them. Was the last time planted butter beans...now I order them from a guy that plants them to sell, figure it not worth the hassle of raising them myself. If you have no way to keep a garden watered most years you end up with your crop going to waste.

The pea patch this year has been interesting to say the least. We bought the seed in 1 lb pkgs, 1 Miss. and 1 BVR, and whoever made up the pkgs got the peas mixed up. Mississippi purple hull peas make in about 60 days, for about 2 weeks and then it's all over. In-n-out of the pea patch. BVR purple hull peas take about 70 days to mature and continue to make for almost a month. They will continue to put on blooms for 2 weeks after the first ones get ready to pick, if they have enough water. They both taste the same to me, but I like the Miss. because you get thru earlier.

I planted 7 rows of what was labeled Miss. peas and 5 rows of BVR's. What I got was 5 rows of Miss. and 7 rows of BVR's. Luckily I was able to water the pea patch, so we will get close to all the peas we want out of the 5 rows. Won't have to keep picking peas for another 3 weeks or so, to get all we want. I'll let family and friends fool with that.

My gauge has 1.4" of rain we got today and still a good chance of more during the night. Next week we gonna make some peas....

The ones I planted were labeled pinkeye purple hull. Usually, they will bear several times if you keep them picked, so they must be like the BVR variety you mention. I've been watering my garden, as we're at almost a month without rain now. My peas are blooming.