Jane wrote in
:

Anyone out there grow sugar snap peas? What do you use to support the
vines? We have used string between 5 foot metal poles but the vines
top that and wind around each other then break off at the top in
moderate wind. Any suggestions?

We have had excellent yield in the spring and moderate in the fall in
Ohio.


When I grew the original Sugar Snap peas I used concrete reinforcing mesh
(6 foot tall, 6 x 6 mesh), supported with poles made from the weed trees
that grew up the narrow strip between the garage and the fence (free
material). Now I grow the shorter vining snap pea varieties (Sugar Ann or
Sugar Mel) and use a 3-foot fence.

Another question: Our zucchini was doing great last summer until the
squash bugs hit. These are the brown ones which lay rust colored eggs
on the underside of the leaves, not the vine borer insects. Anyone
have any luck dealing with these brown bugs that destroyed the
zucchini and the cantaloupe?

Thanks, Jane

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/squashbug.html

This site covers organic and sustainable methods of pest control. The first
line of defense is secured row covers from planting until flowering starts,
along with newspaper and hay mulches. And from personal experience, I would
say they don't like vines growing on light colored concrete very well -
last year I only found large clusters of them on the vines in the garden
and individuals or small clusters on the vines growing out over the patio.

Richard