Pea question

[Maryw]

Hello, this is my first time growing peas, I'm planning on growing them in a small square raised bed but don't know what support to give them. I've seen pictures of wigwams with string around them at intervals but also bamboo sticks (looks like a washing line) with netting hanging from it. Which one is best please? Varieties I'm going to grow are: Pea Lincoln and Suttons Pea Early Onward if this helps. Any help/advice very welcome. Also I've read that peas like well manured soil, I'm picking up some well rotted horse manure tomorrow and anticipate sowing the peas in a week or two once its warmed up (forecast looks promising for the end of the month), is it too late to fork the manure into the raised bed? Many thanks, Mary

[veggiechicken]

I've just googled those varieties and they're both supposed to be low growing and in need of minimal support. Twiggy supports were suggested. Early Onward grows to 60cms to give you an idea of the height.

[Maryw]

Thank you veggiechicken, thats good news.

[WendyC]

I use some of that semi rigid plastic netting, think it is sold as garden mesh, usually green or brown. I put a bamboo cane in each end and one in the middle and the peas grow up. Also often use another piece to go round the row to keep the pigeons off.

[Hazel at the Hill]

I found one year that my peas did not read the seed packet that said that they were going grow to only 60cm and they were a right royal pain as they grew higher and higher and flopped over, and grabbed everthing in sight with those tendrils.....

I grow them with bamboo cane wigwams with that gardeners twine wrapped round - I use that as at the end of the season you can dump the plants, string & all into the composter to rot down.

I use the bamboo wigwam things for my tall heritage peas, which works really well until about half way through the growing season when they break out of the wigwam and flop over, grabbing everything in sight with those tendrils.....*sigh

[Two_Sheds]

I've read that peas like well manured soil

sssh, don't tell mine: they've never had any

I use some of that semi rigid plastic netting

Me too, or chicken wire. The plastic is easier to use and to roll away each year

This round design looks more stable than a flat panel

[Mr Bones]

I grow them with bamboo cane wigwams with that gardeners twine wrapped round - I use that as at the end of the season you can dump the plants, string & all into the composter to rot down.

Too right. I naively used rusty old chicken wire which looked the bit when the plants were small but made some the pods hard to get at, I scratched and stabbed my hands on the sharp wire ends when I did and separating it all at the end of the season was a faff.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I am like Hazel with this one.

If you grow in a cramped space and I do '88 plants in less than two square metres' it's much easier to get at the pods.

Potty

[Darwin.]

I always grow peas along bamboo and use string to support them too. I'll be planting them a bit further apart this year because they tend to wrap around each other.

[Maryw]

Thanks all, have discovered another variety in my seed box (hurst green shaft) which is a climber so have decided to go with the bamboo wigwam and string for all three varieties. Dug the manure into the beds this morning in the rain so now just have to wait. Who knew growing veggies was so exciting.

[Florence Fennel]

Hi Mary, for dwarf peas I just put in twiggy sticks, they interwine with each other and use the sticks with no problem. Welcome to the Vine and happy growing.

[Maryw]

Thank you Florence, I have dwarf French beans (aiguillon and osiris), should I use twiggy sticks and netting for these too as in the picture from twosheds?

[Two_Sheds]

There're dwarf and dwarf: they range from stocky little 12" bushes up to semi-climbers that need canes.

What I do, is wait until they're growing tall and, if they're starting to flop, THEN I put in a few canes, as needed (one per plant, or one per two plants). If you grow in a block, not in rows, then they support each other to a certain extent