Tall Peas

Ben Yezir · Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 8:13 am Post subject: Tall Peas

I'm about to throw caution to the wind and sow some Alderman Peas, they can grow to 6 or 7 foot and to be honest I have no idea how to support them. Yes, I know netting, but all my experiments have fallen over in the wind. Has anyone got any plans for freestanding supports?

tippben · Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 11:12 am Post subject:

Are you growing in open ground or raised beds? It's far too late to cut hazel for pea sticks. My peas are in raised beds, so I made frames from 2x4 timber with a crossbeam and stretched netting across, so it looks neat.

Freestanding structures, presumably using canes, would need something really heavy to anchor the canes. There are breeze blocks for building that have two holes in them instead of being solid. That MIGHT work. What's wrong with anchoring into the ground?

Ben Yezir · Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 2:47 pm Post subject:

You don't have a photo of your structure do you?

michael brenock · Posted: Sun May 08, 2011 6:18 pm Post subject:

Put two long stakes in the ground one at each end of row. Tie a wire on to the stake and stretch tightly. Hang a net of plastic or wire from this suspended wire and anchor it at intervals in the ground. Peas grown commercially are not staked and they support each other. Tall growing varieties always crop better when supported even small sticks help to keep them off the ground.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

tippben · Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 10:04 am Post subject:

Not a great picture, but:

Its sunk a foot into the ground, and tacked in with a nail each side. I can move it around and reuse it as needed.

Ben Yezir · Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 2:59 pm Post subject:

Perfect. Thanks for the photo, I have bought some wood and will construct something similar.

Ben Yezir · Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 7:35 pm Post subject:

Tippben, my structure is in place, it was pretty easy - thanks again!

One more quick question on tall peas. What distance should I leave between each row of Alderman Peas? On the net it says everything from a couple of feet to six feet? Any ideas anyone?

michael brenock · Posted: Mon May 09, 2011 8:08 pm Post subject:

allow 6 feet between rows of tall peas and 4 feet between the dwarf types. Sow the seeds in double rows ie 4-6 inches between them so that they can climb the same supports .
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)