Wigwam Bam!

[Florence Fennel]

Sympathy please. I was crowing about my first time with peas (other than dwarf) and instead of stopping them at the top of the wigwams x 3 I delighted in the fact that they were growing so vigorously they were wending their way down again. Disaster struck today with the strong winds here and the wigwams + the weight of the peas mean that they are now at a precarious angle and I can't hoist them back up. Disaster. The pods were just beginning to swell. Any suggestions? BTW I am expecting a lot of stick.

[ginger ninger]

THERE,THERE.... I have Lot's of sympathy for you, my pea's and broad beans have taken a right bashing as well, we seem to have had all the season's in one week here in GOOD OLD YORKSHIRE.

[Snadger]

Just an idea...........Can you not fasten a 'guyrope' on the windward side and fasten it to the ground with a stout peg? As long as the wigwam is still standing, albeit precariously, you will still get a good crop!

[SarzWix]

As snadger says, or, put in some more canes at an angle towards your collapsed ones and lash them together. You might not be able to get them upright, but hopefully you can stop them falling down any more?! I had a collapsing pea frame last year and managed to shore it up with extra canes and netting til they cropped.

Good luck with them.

[Two_Sheds]

You need to pinch out the growing tip when it reaches the top of the canes ... ah, you know that now, I'll get me coat

Guyrope ... excellent idea. I grow my beans up guyropes anyway, the beans find the string easier to grip onto than canes. The only problem is keeping the string taut, because it tends to "give" and I need to re-knot it every so often.

[Florence Fennel]

Thanks friends, I appreciate the sympathy and the irony in places, don't know what I'd do without your support (pardon the pun). I have found another use for the gazillion pairs of tights my MIL keeps on buying for me, (they make brilliant plant ties) even though I don't wear them. I have wrapped them around the blown peas, round the wigwam and in one case tied them to a nearby apple tree! They are looking very sorry for themselves though, so I'll try some of the ideas you have suggested. Wont be so greedy next time and will stop them. You're right about the weather here Ginger, it's just pelted it down with a gale force and now the sun in shining!

[Snadger]

Thanks friends, I appreciate the sympathy and the irony in places, don't know what I'd do without your support (pardon the pun). I have found another use for the gazillion pairs of tights my MIL keeps on buying for me, (they make brilliant plant ties) even though I don't wear them. I have wrapped them around the blown peas, round the wigwam and in one case tied them to a nearby apple tree! They are looking very sorry for themselves though, so I'll try some of the ideas you have suggested. Wont be so greedy next time and will stop them. You're right about the weather here Ginger, it's just pelted it down with a gale force and now the sun in shining!

You will be the talk of the allotments if you aint wearing tights and wearing sussies whilst up the ladder tying up the peas in windy conditions! Or will you spoil the fun and wear jeans! Lol

[Florence Fennel]

That would certainly put the colour in somebody's cheeks, but my OH says I'd make everybody green around the gills! Peas are refusing to wear the tights as well.

[Florence Fennel]

What if I cut the peas at the top of the wigwams now and use what is on the trailing mass for mange tout? Would the rest of the plant wither? I can probably get the wigwams to stand upright if I get rid of the "excess". I have learned my lesson the hard way. A right know-it-all-about-gardening neighbour passed yesterday and having taken his usual stock of what I'm growing delightedly said "Didn't you stop your peas at the top then?" *&^%$£*!