# Largest southern pea?



## Sparkie (Aug 16, 2012)

We've grown several different types of pea. The largest seeded ones we've come across so far is a brown crowder. The smallest, Mississippi silver. Of course the tiny ones are the ones that volunteer like mad throughout the garden. They're a huge pain to shell out. We like the brown crowder but would like to find out if there are any other fairly large seeded peas that anyone knows about. We also grow pink eye purple hull and calico, both are med. sized.


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## logbuilder (Jan 31, 2006)

My favorite is lady peas. Never grown them but I love to eat them. I'm from MS. When I go back there, I have to have them as well as fried catfish and hush puppies. My mom usually has them in the freezer. She buys them already shelled by the lb. I'm now in Washington state and we can't get anything like that. This year I planted a couple rows of southern green beans and they did great. I had looked for lady pea seed but could not find them. Hopefully next year.

Here is where I got my seeds last year.

Southern States Cooperative - Farmer Owned Since 1923


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## logbuilder (Jan 31, 2006)

Neglected to mention that I also planted limas. They still have a couple of weeks. True, it is a bean rather than pea but it is large.


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## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

How is the size on the 21 pea some of you have been talking about?


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## a'ightthen (Mar 17, 2012)

Cliff said:


> How is the size on the 21 pea some of you have been talking about?


 What I ran across quickly to compare. These are dried for seed. I'm sure that digging will find bigger of each but ...

L-R: Pinkeye PH, 21 Peas, CA Blackeye and Hercules.


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## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

Thanks for the pics  The 21 pea is a nice size to have so many peas per pod.


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## a'ightthen (Mar 17, 2012)

The thing that sets 21 Peas apart is the pole type growth habit. I still prefer Pinkeye, Hercules and Zipper










.... but the continuous production combined with the actual feeling that you are doing something while shelling them ( they add up quickly!) is a winner. Combined with cornbread, it is all good!

Still, there is a gallon+ of Pinkeyes in the crockpot and that is where I go


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## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

I'm confused about the color of the 21s. In the comparison photos, it seems they are the maroon ones. Is the photo of the green peas in the bowl also 21?

I got a just a few of those maroon peas off my blackeyed this year, and thought it was a mutation or something.


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## a'ightthen (Mar 17, 2012)

mary said:


> I'm confused about the color of the 21s. In the comparison photos, it seems they are the maroon ones. Is the photo of the green peas in the bowl also 21?


 Sorry about that. The bowl pic is Zipper ... yet another decent size pea.


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Colossus is a large crowder type pea. seeds are hard to find, so look for them early next year. Wait till the pods change color, but don't wait to long as the will pop open when you pick them,
These folks normaly have them Colossus Pea, 1/2 lb. or 1 lb.


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## a'ightthen (Mar 17, 2012)

po boy said:


> Colossus is a large crowder type pea. seeds are hard to find, so look for them early next year. Wait till the pods change color, but don't wait to long as the will pop open when you pick them,
> These folks normaly have them Colossus Pea, 1/2 lb. or 1 lb.


 Agree with Colossus. It is very similar to Hercules and perhaps a bit bigger. Clemson University released Colossus in 1972, Hercules in 1979 and Colossus-80 in 1980. So perhaps the same line.

We grew Colossus for a couple of years after Hercules disappeared due to reported crop failure. Haven't grown Colossus-80. Hercules was released as an extended season pea.

This is the first year that I have grown Hercules in perhaps a decade or better. I was able to get some 250 seed. Only had about 50 come up as a storm washed them out. Deer/rabbits found them as I planted them in a remote spot ( for purity) and I ended up with perhaps 20 plants protected with tomato cages  So they have been all about seed but I did shell out quite a few today ( plus a chunk of 21 Peas).

I moved the cages yesterday to some Pinkeyes, some 400 ft away from the 21 Peas, as the late planting is now getting mowed out ( deer season is but 5-6 weeks away!!!). I had plenty of seed saved but the wife put them into a plastic bag too early, to get them off of her table, and mold set in  Purely my fault.

There is a fault with 21 Peas. It used to be a timing or spacing issue with growing multiple varieties .... but with those suckers in constant bloom/production, it is down to spacing.

They ( 21 Peas) are still new to me and where they fit in may very well be yet to be determined. Combined with Chicken and Dumplings is every bit as special as Cherokee Purple tomato, bacon and Great Lakes 118 lettuce IMO.

Ya know how CA Blackeyes just "fit" with collards or turnip greens?

Ah well, just more stuff to deal with.

Southern Exposure has Colossus ... unless my order this morning was it


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

21 Pea is the biggest of what now are 6 cowpeas that I'm involved in this year. Was 5 until today when I was picking the Pinkeye Purple Hulls. I had noted that something was really wrong a month ago when there were a lot of non-purple pods. That usually means a seriously mixed batch of seeds. When I got to them, discovered that it was just several vines about 8' long and from a single root. Defintely not just a runner but has to be a pole type. Pods were almost white so no problem to keep them separate. Average was about a dozen peas per pod with normal being 15. On that one plant were 108 pods and the threshed peas weigh exactly 7 ounces. At that rate, I'd only have to plant 23 next year and get 10 pounds. Only problem is that I don't know what to call them. For now I'll just call it Pinkeye Pole. 

Martin


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## a'ightthen (Mar 17, 2012)

Paquebot said:


> Pods were almost white so no problem to keep them separate. Average was about a dozen peas per pod with normal being 15. On that one plant were 108 pods and the threshed peas weigh exactly 7 ounces. At that rate, I'd only have to plant 23 next year and get 10 pounds. Only problem is that I don't know what to call them. For now I'll just call it Pinkeye Pole.
> 
> Martin


 I also saw these ( white pods) in my purchased Pinkeyes ( think I remember reading that you bought some seed this year).

Did not see the vines or pay much attention to the peas ( just culled them as strange ... leave it to you to chase them! LOL ). Wouldn't have been able to vine here anyway ( if it is/was the same) as the pressure from deer has been pathetic this year .... they even ate squash leaves!!!

I've let the younger ones ( SILs and son) tend to the deer hunting these past two years. They took 2 in 2010 and but only 1 last year ... season limit is 12 so .... not much help in thinning 

But this has got to stop and I'm playing again this year. Besides, my supply of venison is gone now.

Anyway, the pods seemed to be a "bit" thinner than Pinkeye PH .... but "about" the same length. Is this what you saw? 108 is most impressive!


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

The reason for growing Pinkeye Purple Hull was that many gardeners here couldn't find any seed earlier this year. The Ferry-Morse seed packet display at local Home Depot had them. I'd grown other cowpeas with no problem so figured that I'd grow them to have some on hand if there's a shortage next year. That was the source of the odd plant. Curious enough, the eye on those is more pink than the real pinkeye. So far, haven't been able to find whatever it may be if it were a stray seed. 

Indeed, 108 pods is an impressive number as is 7 ounces per single plant. Next year will prove what it can do. It definitely will be able to climb as it had to be unwound from the rest of the row. I'll offer it to others to also try. 

Of course, one should not overlook something that doesn't look quite right, especially with beans. Detected a little color variation on the pods of a Black Turtle plant a few years ago. Next year those beans produced 4 different color combinations. I've kept the speckled one going as it's the closest to Black Turtle except that it doesn't turn everything else black when cooked with other vegetables. 

Martin


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## a'ightthen (Mar 17, 2012)

Colossus seed are in. Added to the exact same seed ( that have been sitting out in the weather on the rail since previous pic ... note CA Blackeye is deteriorating a bit, the CA are also the oldest seed) ...


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

More on size comparison, Mississippi Silver is just a tad bigger than 21 Pea. The Pinkeyes and Kunde are the smallest but I place more emphasis on total weight rather than just size. A 24' double row of Kunde, about 72 plants, filled 3 regular grocery bags with pods this evening. Didn't find any 21s but there were a number of 19s and 20s. With some pods being still soft and needing drying, won't know the overall weight for a few weeks. Last year that same row supposedly produced over 2 kilos. Only problem with that variety is the complicated growing method required. 

Martin


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## Sparkie (Aug 16, 2012)

Ahh I must have the wrong name for what I'm calling Mississippi silver then - the pea here that I thought was that is very very small.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Mississippi Silver is a crowder bean and they are generally bigger than regular cowpeas. The pods are shorter but no gaps between the beans.

Mississippi Silver, Mississippi Silver Cowpea, Mississippi Silver Cowpeas, Mississippi Silver Cowpeas Seeds, Vigna unguiculata, Seeds, Cowpeas, Southern Peas, NSL 43517 - Reimer Seeds

Martin


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