Kitchen Garden Forum

I shall be growing tall peas again this year, and would like to improve on my usual means of support which involves stout canes and netting. This always semi-collapses, making picking difficult. Is it possible to grow peas on a wigwam of canes? Do people have any other ideas I could try?

I have a stock of 5' pieces of treated slate battening that I knock in in pairs 1' apart every 5'along the rows. I cadge old binder twine off a local farmer and put horizontal strings along the rows at about 1', 2', 3' and 4' high down one side. Then I push birch pea sticks into the row and put strings down the other side. I finish off by tying the sticks together at top across the rows but still the 1' apart to stop the rows bulging. I only grow Hurst Greenshaft.

Hi

A wigwam of canes with netting wrapped around them and tied securely works well for tall verieties such as Sugar Snap.

Chris

Thanks very much. I think I'll try both methods as I have three different tall peas to grow this year - Veitch's Western Express, Mr Bethells Purple Podded and a golden mangetout, all from HDRA.

I gor the tall " Robinson" and also the Carlin, with the pretty pink and purple flowers, on wire netting up the south facing front of the cottage, planted in containers. They do splendidly and I mix sweet peas in with them.

I have 6ft poles at each end of one side of my 8 ft long raised beds and attach green netting to them with staples. I weave a piece of wire through the netting at top and bottom to keep it taut. As this means that I am growing peas in the same bed each year, I change the compost every time. I would like to send a photo but I'm afraid I don't know how. Sorry!
Fernil[/url]

I have read recently that it is effective to plant peas in a length of guttering. My question is do you need to put drainage holes in the bottom of the guttering and do you have to put end caps on the guttering ?

Regards
Mark

As far as I'm aware (more knowledgable members, please correct me if I'm wrong), you just start the peas off in the guttering. Then when you're ready to plant them out, you slide the whole thing off the guttering into a prepared trench. I don't think guttering would be deep enough to grow peas to maturity.