Peas to train up canes

[21again]

I always thought peas grew like runner beans ie you could grow them up 6ft canes to get a good crop.

Didn't realise until last year that they don't grow very tall and you had to use sticks/branches etc to support them .

Are there any varieties that do grow to quite a height so that I could get a bigger crop, they would be grown in large pots?

I have a £5 discount voucher for Thompson and Morgan so if anyone knows if they sell a suitable type of pea that would be great.

Ta.

[zazen999]

Nope, peas are different to beans as they do not twine - they grab. And sometimes, they grab not.

Try sowing in a row and put canes around the row; 6 inches wide the row ideally should be. Then, tie string/twine around the canes in a cage like affair. Then as they grow, put another line of string - usually 3 lines is ample....if you grow them close enough you can get fab crops from a variety such as Kelvedon Wonder.

Tall peas; grow up canes and tie them in as they go - 3 to a cane, or tie string in between 2 or more canes [if growing in a straight row] for them to grab onto.

In a pot; if you want tall peas, put a few canes round the edge and tie the string round them.

Or a square pot, at each corner.

[21again]

Thanks Zazzen.

The ones I grew last year were Kelvedon Wonder.

I have 12" square pots as I intending to have a go at square foot gardening last year, ended up growing most things in Morrisons flower buckets.

I will get some shorter canes and have a go again this year.

[Sanjo]

It's many years since I grew peas but I am having another go this year with purple podded peas from W. Robinson & Sons. The purple pods produce green peas and the flowers are purple and cream. These are a Heritage variety and can grow over 2 metres tall. I am going to grow them up netting.
I am also growing sweet peas among them (must make sure I don't mix them up on harvesting!). This is to encourage bee activity.
Wish me luck!!

[bramble]

I grow Kelvdon Wonder and Early Onward and always get a good crop.
I usually start them in modules and when they germinate plant them out in the garden or containers.
If you can get brambles or twigs to start them climbing you can then add in taller sticks as they grow.
Hope this helps.

[zazen999]

I've put two photos on of the two methods described above.....

[21again]

Thanks for your replies folks and the photos.

How many do you think I should grow in a 12" square pot?

Or is it best to have one in each pot and push the 4 pots together to form a square if you know what I mean.

[oldie]

Mel Bartholomew the Square foot gardening guru says you can plant 8 peas in a 12" square. He recommends using a sugar snap type which easily grow to 6ft high and are more prolific than ordinary peas.

[solway cropper]

Victoriana Nursery Garden sell a victorian climbing pea which can easily grow to 6-8 feet tall. I grow them up a wigwam just like runner beans and you can get quite a few in a small space that way.

[sewer rat]

I have in the past grown a pea variety called Alderman, which easily reached the top of a wigwam made from 8' bamboo canes. The other beauty of this variety is that it's a bit like beans and will keep cropping as long as you keep picking.

[Jeanied]

I'm sitting here with my new batch of seeds from HSL, gloating!
In the batch I have a tall pea - ne plus ultra and another one Clarke's Betony Blue as my lucky dip! I shall have to grow them on different plots but will try the tall wigwam method!

[21again]

Mel Bartholomew the Square foot gardening guru says you can plant 8 peas in a 12" square. He recommends using a sugar snap type which easily grow to 6ft high and are more prolific than ordinary peas.

Yep, I had a read of part of his book last year, there is a square foot gardening forum on yahoo too that I joined but I haven't bothered reading any of the posts for a while.

Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to ... - Google Books

[21again]

Victoriana Nursery Garden sell a victorian climbing pea which can easily grow to 6-8 feet tall. I grow them up a wigwam just like runner beans and you can get quite a few in a small space that way.

Thanks, shall go and google their site now.

[21again]

I have in the past grown a pea variety called Alderman, which easily reached the top of a wigwam made from 8' bamboo canes. The other beauty of this variety is that it's a bit like beans and will keep cropping as long as you keep picking.

Thanks Sewer Rat, I shall go and have a search for that one too.

[21again]

I have in the past grown a pea variety called Alderman, which easily reached the top of a wigwam made from 8' bamboo canes. The other beauty of this variety is that it's a bit like beans and will keep cropping as long as you keep picking.

Just looked at the Victoriana site for the 'Victorian' pea variety and its latin name is Pisum sativum 'Allderman', do I assume these are both the same variety?