Pea tops - will they regrow?

[daisystitch]

Hi everyone, first time posting, but read lots of good advice on here previously.

About a month ago I planted out some pea seedlings growing up a frame....about two weeks ago my neighbour's sheep got into the garden (West coast of Ireland here!) and ate the top off a few of them....I wasn't too worried because most of them were untouched. However, yesterday it happened again, so now about half in total have had their tops chomped off. I'm wondering at this point, will they grow high again? Half of them are about a foot tall at the mo, lagging behind the others which are about twice the height. I don't know whether to leave them and they'll catch up, or if they're done for and I should pull them out (got some more in root trainers at the mo that I could pop in).

Any advice much appreciated!

[burnie]

I think I'd be having a word with your neighbour, if it keeps eating your peas ask if it's ok if you eat their sheep...…...………...……… But your peas will probably be alright, it's never happened to me to be honest.

[Aberdeenplotter]

This info comes to you from the 2014 NVS Pea champion[ modest I am not ]. Provided they havent been eaten to ground level they should throw new shoots from the first leaf nodes down from the munch site. Pick out the weakest shoot and grow on the other as a new leader.

[bario1]

I’d like to say they’ll be fine, but in my experience (with pigeons, not sheep), they won’t continue to grow.

[daisystitch]

Thanks all for the advice - the sheep had managed to jump a six foot dry stone wall, but has since been moved on to greener pastures!

I'll leave the peas in and try training a side shoot up, fingers crossed!

[Bren In Pots]

You've had some excellent advice Daisystitch so all I'll add is to say welcome to the vine

I grow some peas just for the shoots, after cutting of the tops they usually re-grow several times so yours are bound to be fine.

[Red Dragon]

Morning all...my first post also...I have a similar problem with broad beans (not being eaten by sheep though!) Will they carry on growing?

[ameno]

Morning all...my first post also...I have a similar problem with broad beans (not being eaten by sheep though!) Will they carry on growing?

It somewhat depends how big they are. If they already had a half-decent root system then they should reshoot from the bottom (broad beans often make additional stems on each plant as they mature, anyway). If they were newly planted or germinate, and still pretty small, then you may have lost them.

[daisystitch]

Just though I'd update for anyone else who's had the same problem - although the plants that got eaten have not reached the same height as the others, they did continue to grow and are now flowering cropping! I'm so happy! I tried to train up other shoots from the eaten plants and they seem to have done fairly well.