planting peas

[Bitzy66]

Hi all,
I have a small area left on my plot and thought i would plant some peas ,hurst green shaft I have bought
I have dug in loads of muck, soaked and planted the the seeds in pots in the greenhouse ,
does any one have any tips for a succesful cropping ,as you can proberbly tell I am new to growing so any advice would be much appreciated .
oh do I grow up canes or just some twigs ?
Thanks
bitzy

[Monika]

Hello Bitzy66, your peas will be fine planted now after hardening them off for a few days, particularly in this cold spell. If they don't have any tendrils yet I would protect them with some wire netting, fleece or similar to stop the birds pulling them until they are properly rooted.

If they already have some tendrils and they are seeking support, put some twiggy sticks in straight away so that the peas can cling on to them. Canes are too slippery and not really suitable, because peas cling by multiple tendrils rather than runner beans or climbing French beans which twine round the canes or string. It's probably too late for you this year but I find the annual cutting of buddleias provide me with plenty of sticks for our rows of peas. If you can't get any sticks at all, upright wire netting will do as well.

[Bitzy66]

Hi Monika thankyou for the advice ,we do have a large wood near by where I could collect some twiggy windfalls to let them scramble up, roughly what spacings would I need between plants , and is it possible to plant a second lot maybe at the end of June ?
thanks again
Bitzy

[Monika]

I think the usual recommended spacing is 2 inches between sown peas, but that will allow for predation and non-germination, so I would plant them about 2 1/2 to 3 inches apart.