Peas, Garlic Scapes, and Other Vegetable Notes

Lessons learned about spring vegetables this year:

 1. Peas won't grow until the soil warms a little so planting them on St. Patrick's day does not guarantee they will  produce early.

2.  Pea seeds planted 3-5 inches apart is too far. For what each plant produces, its best to keep them closer together

3. Sugar snap peas exceed a five foot fence and they don't like to bend after passing it so tying them to the fence only encourages them to break if not trained.

4. Garlic scapes are ready to pick mid-june and the garlic themselves should be pulled in early July

5.  It may be beneficial to start Chinese kale and spinach in a cold frame, as it took them forever to sprout and they pretty much immediately sent up flowers.

6.  Spinach planted in the fall and protected with straw survived the winter and produced leaves earlier than spring planted spinach.