What's the difference between mangetout and sugar snap peas?

Both are edible-podded peas eaten whole, but the pods are different. Mangetout (eat-all): flat, thin pods 5–8 cm long, eaten when pod is young and peas inside are tiny lumps. If left to mature the pod gets stringy. Sugar snap: fatter, rounder, fuller pods 5–7 cm, eaten when fully filled out — still sweet and crunchy, never tough. Sugar snaps are newer to UK gardens (1970s/80s) and very popular; mangetout has been grown in Britain for centuries. Both crop similarly and can be sown together.

When can I pick mangetout?

6–8 weeks after sowing, depending on conditions and variety. Pick when pods are 5–7 cm long, flat, and peas inside are tiny lumps — not when the pods feel full. Pick at least every 2–3 days during the cropping window; mangetout left on the plant beyond peak go stringy AND the plant stops flowering. The more you pick, the more they produce rule applies more strongly to mangetout than almost any other vegetable.

Why are my mangetout going stringy and tough?

Picked too late. Pods get stringy and the side-strings (along the seam) get fibrous within a few days of reaching peak. Solution: pick more often, even daily during peak production. Stringy pods can still be eaten if you strip the strings off the seam first (run a knife under each end and pull the string off). Sugar snap varieties are bred to be stringless even when fully filled out — consider switching if stringy mangetout is a recurring issue.

How tall do mangetout grow?

1.5–2 m for tall varieties like Oregon Sugar Pod and the traditional sugar snap. Compact varieties like Half Pint and Sugar Ann grow 75 cm to 1 m — good for small gardens or container culture. Always provide support before sowing — pea netting, hazel sticks, or wire trellis — set up to the variety's expected height. Without support, mangetout sprawl flat and rot in damp weather.

Can I grow mangetout in a pot?

Yes — use a compact variety. Choose Half Pint (60 cm dwarf), Sugar Ann (compact 75 cm), or Tom Thumb (50 cm). Use a 40 cm pot of peat-free compost. Sow 5–6 seeds per pot, set up a 1 m support (a wigwam of canes works well). Water daily once cropping starts. One pot gives a few weeks of pickings; sow a fresh pot every 3 weeks for continuous supply.

Why didn't my mangetout germinate?

Three common causes. (1) Soil too cold: mangetout seeds rot in soil below 7°C. Wait until soil warms (mid-March in south, April further north), or pre-warm soil under cloches. (2) Mice ate the seeds: dig down where you sowed; if seeds are missing, mice have taken them. Resow with paraffin-soaked seeds or in a covered drill. (3) Old seed: pea seed loses viability after 2–3 years; use fresh packets each year.

Fagiolini

Pisum sativum var. saccharatum

Sow mangetout direct from March to July, in sun in well-drained soil — they're an edible-podded variant of the garden pea, eaten whole including the soft, sugary, immature pod before the seeds inside have filled out. Mangetout (literally "eat-all") are hardy (RHS H4–H5) but the seedlings dislike cold wet soil — wait until soil is at least 7°C in spring, or sow under cloches. Pick the pods young and flat (5–7 cm) while the peas inside are still tiny; left longer the pods get tough and stringy. Successional sowing every 3 weeks keeps fresh tender pods coming from June to September. Distinct from sugar snap peas (rounder fatter pods, also eaten whole — slightly later UK introduction). Both need a 1.5–2 m support — pea netting, twigs, or wire — and protection from pea moth and pigeons.

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