Sugar Beth Snaps

[Galina]

From the Sugar Beth's Jayb had given me seeds for last year, one produced a purple flowering plant with superbly flavoured small snap pods. Probably my favourite (although the mangetouts were great too).

For this year I grew the little snap, which was green with a hint of purple. This is the F3 generation. First surprise, I had two pink flowering plants! None last year and now 2 that still segregated out. Lovely. Second surprise, they grow so tall. I can barely reach to the tops. And we have 5 different colours. They are all snaps, but we did expect that. The array of colours is very pretty. Here is a picture with one Opal Creek for comparison: The nearly purple is the rarest colour.
We have nearly purple, green with purple, green with red, green with the merest hint of red and plain green.

[jayb]

Fab, are they the pink flowered ones pods in the middle?
Interesting the pink came through in this generation. They do look good, I just wish the pods were a bit bigger, but great the taste is there

[Galina]

The ones with red in the pods were from pink flowers.

[Galina]

A few more F2 seeds, which yielded a semi purple mangetout, a light green mangetout with just a hint of purple seam and this beauty of a semi purple snap. These are substantially larger than the little snaps above. The plant is quite late and doesn't have many pods, but this one was ready to take off. I have eaten one of the younger pods and again, it is a very sweet snap.

The photo shows the green mangetout and the large semi-purple snap. It will be exciting to grow these snaps again. Unfortunately they grow on a 4ft shortish plant that is quite late. The little snaps above are on 6ft plus plants, I hope they get more vigorous in future generations.

[jayb]

A shame the larger podded one is on a shorter plant, might be scope in a further generation. Again good to here taste is good, I think a reflection on Elizabeth and Alan Kapuler's breeding of sugar Magnolia.
I've only sown pink ones, which got eaten, the resown ones are going to probably be too late for seed...

[Galina]

Did you get snaps from this cross this year?

Well there is certainly the possibility to cross the short plant with the big snaps to the big plant with the small snap pods. I don't think the ratio of how many pods you get on any given plant is a fixed ratio (like so many grams of pea per node whether this is long or short). I noticed that the Thomas Laxton peas this year were particularly good cropping and that the peas started low down on tall plants. Something to select for but not in this or any near future generations.

You should still get seeds if the later sown ones are already up.

[jayb]

It was too early for pods to be able to tell and yesterday I had a bit of a dog incident and I'm not sure what's alive or not I couldn't face checking what's been trashed I think many of the F grow outs including these. She's managed to dig up some of the beans too. I love her to bits but sometimes she just goes too far. She's usually ok with keeping off the veggie patch and beds, but not this time!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She may have surpassed digging up the asparagus bed and the time she dug everyone of the Autumn onions and garlic up!!

[Galina]

So sorry - naughty dog! - that's enough to get anybody down. Our 'granddog' Sophie 'prunes' everything in sight, but she does not dig. In the garden she is on the long lead in the fruit tree part. When she can see me, she is usually quite happy and hunts bumblebees and butterflies. Not so good!

I wonder whether she is trying to dig up more of the voles she's developed an appetite for? Is it Saffie- not sure I remember right.

Happy to share seeds.

[jayb]

Prunnings not good either!

Yes Saffie, I've been trying to teach her to stay off beds and the veggie patch so she can be loose in the garden when I'm busy doing things. It's been slow progress much of the time as she does love to be 'helpful' which I think is why she did the digging bit again or perhaps it was a mouse or a mole that took her interest? Usually things go ok now and it's just a few broken branches or picked fruit and I'm not sure quite how but she understands to keep to paths (well normally!) and she knows the word off if she ventures somewhere she shouldn't be. She's nearly at the point when I can switch the hose on without her going completely nutty, it's one of her favourite things and just soooo loves water, not good if I'm trying to water or wash something without help!

[Galina]

At last the little snaps produce sideshoots. The main plants have deteriorated somewhat, but a long way from gone, so there is hope for a second flush. Peas that go on and last longer would be good anyway. I don't think much commercial development has been done in this area.

[Galina]

Yes, we have flowers on the side shoots, both bicolour purple and pink and pods are developing too. And the same is happening with Sugar Magnolia. It is good to know that this is a variety which is capable of being a pea season extender. Two photos, purple flowers and pods, there are some green pods with a little red as well but they are harder to see. And a newly opened pink flower soaring to the skies - I can't reach this one - well over 7ft tall.

[jayb]

Amazing they are still going, they just don't want to give up!
I think I have just one pink Sugar Beth F4 growing, Hoping for flowers very soon.

[Galina]

Yes I am testing their longevity to the full. They have been around since late February. Then I saved seeds which is often the 'kiss of death' for a pea plant, as it stops producing more flowers and goes to straw. I think one of the reasons they are still going is that (and I am saying this very quietly) we don't have mildew yet.

[jayb]

Mmm same here!

[Galina]

Well one of the pink flowered plants has just surprised me. As you know I have never seen an Elisabeth pea with a white flower, but this F3 generation bred from Elisabeth has just produced a near white flower. Surprisingly right next to a normal pink flower.