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Post by robertb on Feb 23, 2010 16:52:42 GMT -5
Has anyone grown these? I gather they're not very high-yielding, and that's about all I know. Someone's sent me some tubers, and I'm assuming they'll need sticks to climb up.
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Post by blueadzuki on Feb 23, 2010 21:05:06 GMT -5
I haven't grown it yet but I did get some seed (there were no domestic supplies here in the US, and its the middle of winter over here so seed was really the only option I had). I would imagine it will be a climber, most Lathyrus are. One warning though, according to waht I've read, slugs love the stuff, so you'll have to keep an eye on them.
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Post by Hristo on Feb 23, 2010 22:31:45 GMT -5
Assume you are talking about Lathyrus tuberosus. Frank (Orflo) sent me seeds 2 seasons ago, and for these 2 years have not seen plant higher than 40-50 cm. So I do not stake them.
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Post by orflo on Feb 24, 2010 0:59:39 GMT -5
Mine do grow a bit taller than Hristo's, just about 60-70 cms. I don't stake them either. There used to be quite big areas of the plants in the province of 'Zeeland' in the Netherlands (from just about the 16th century to the beginning of the 20th). The plants are really unproductive, but the taste is very nice, they only take some ten minutes to cook, and they have a sort of nutty chestnut aroma. The flowers are also very tasty, these can be steamed to make a tasty perfumed snack. And it's a wonderful decorative plant as well, flowering from the beginning of summer until the first frosts. Unfortunately seed production is also a bit on the low side. I have one old book mentioning some varieties that exist, but I've never been able to track these down. The plants have been taken to the US, and seem to have gone wild in some areas. Maybe some of these are selected varieties?   |
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Post by blueadzuki on Feb 24, 2010 7:24:25 GMT -5
There used to be quite big areas of the plants in the province of 'Zeeland' in the Netherlands (from just about the 16th century to the beginning of the 20th).http://lh3.ggpht.com/_uJlKslZ6M7A/SouTYgJ1m1I/AAAAAAAAA8k/Mk46yWtDi60/s640/PICT0028.JPG [/img][/quote] Oh, so its that how they got the nickname "Dutch mice" [/img][/quote] Makes me a bit curios, if all of those stands of everlasting pea (L.latifolius) really were everlasting pea. Certainly, if viewed from above ground and in flower the two could be easily mistaken for each other. |
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Post by ottawagardener on Feb 24, 2010 8:29:00 GMT -5
There is something that looks like this that grows wild around here but I am not sure if it is tuberous pea or everlasting pea as I've not taken a spade to the ground or really looked at it closely but there is someone in Canada who offers it for sale so I hope to get some. It's quite cute isn't it! I heard the same thing about it being very tasty but also unproductive. Maybe this is one for development if possible.
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Post by stevil on Feb 24, 2010 9:44:52 GMT -5
Nice pictures, Frank! Even though it's fairly unproductive (although more productive than Pignut!), it's well worth growing for the occasional gourmet meal - they can also be harvested in spring which is a plus in my mind...
I don't stake either and just let them clamber over other plants, although I've seen them staked in more formal gardens.
Telsing: I have some seed if you'd like me to send some with the other things I'm sending?
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Post by plantsnobin on Feb 24, 2010 9:48:00 GMT -5
I just got some from Stevil, and have them planted. They were still in the pod and averaged 3 seed per pod. Telsing, if I have germination on them, you know that you will be welcome to some when you come for the swap.
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Post by bunkie on Feb 24, 2010 11:50:23 GMT -5
karen, i'd like to try some seed if you have enough.
frank, those tubers look really interesting. do you eat the skin, too?
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Post by robertb on Feb 24, 2010 12:44:32 GMT -5
We have everlasting pea on my allotment site, and it definitely doesn't have tubers. It's going to be interesting to compare the two.
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Post by spacecase0 on Feb 24, 2010 14:50:43 GMT -5
these do look very interesting...
I wonder if I have seen them before and not spotted them
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Post by stevil on Feb 24, 2010 17:16:26 GMT -5
We have everlasting pea on my allotment site, and it definitely doesn't have tubers. It's going to be interesting to compare the two. It's a much smaller plant than Everlasting Pea, Lathyrus latifolius, also the flowers. |
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Post by plantsnobin on Feb 24, 2010 17:47:35 GMT -5
Bunkie, I am afraid that I already planted them all. I don't know if they flower the first year from seed, but if they do set seed I will share.
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Post by robertb on Feb 24, 2010 18:05:28 GMT -5
I may have seed at the end of the season, but I had tubers and they've all gone in.
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Post by ottawagardener on Mar 3, 2010 7:49:38 GMT -5
Well, it is listed in the Ministry of Agriculture's noxious weed list so maybe those really were tuberous pea. I plan on finding out next year. www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/info_vetchling.htmFor those of you curious, it was in the north end Gatineau Park in the entrance way to Lac Phillipe. |
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