Posted by Jennifer Dixon on 24th Sep 2017
Growing and Seed Saving Top Pick Pinkeyes
Hello all,
It's been quite a while since I lasted posted. We have been keeping a watchful eye on the storms the last few weeks as well as trying to get ready for winter. It has been quite a year this year in terms of weather, which reminds me if you have been affected by hurricane, Harvey, Irma, or Maria you are in our thoughts and prayers!
This year has been a tough growing season. We have had abundant rainfall in the mountains this year, which is a good thing for the drought, but has made growing some crops a challenge. However one crop that has done well this year, and really has done well every year are the Top Pick Pinkeye cow peas.
Top Picks, as the name implies, are pink eyed cow peas that grow at the tops of the plants. They are very prolific, drought resistant, and can even handle abundant rain. This year we were very impressed with the pea production. They are very good to eat and the young tender pods make good snaps.
They are best planted in the early summer with a fair amount of compost. They are a legume so they don't need nitrogen in fact too much nitrogen can inhibit their growth. Once they are producing peas they will produce all the way through fall as long as weather permits.
Now saving peas for the next year to grow is very simple. You'll want to wait until the pea pods turn burgundy to light brown. Remove the pods, but don't shell them yet. Place the pods in a dry airy location for a few weeks. This helps the peas dry out nicely and prevents shriveling.
Once they are light brown and crunchy simply shell them and allow them to dry a few days and then place them in a jar or other container for next year's crop.
It's that simple. As you can see below they have a prominent pink eye with a tan colored body. As they dry further the eye will turn darker. These peas are our favorite, in fact we plan to grow them, Lord willing every year! You should really give them a try.
Well that just about sums this article up and we do have these for sale on the main home site under the peas tab.
Please let me know if you have any questions and as always happy gardening!