(Sorry for another beginner's question!)
If I place a cane next to each pea plant (they are about 6" tall now),
do I need to fix the plant to the cane as it grows, or can I just wind
the plant round ?

NC writes
(Sorry for another beginner's question!)
If I place a cane next to each pea plant (they are about 6" tall now),
do I need to fix the plant to the cane as it grows, or can I just wind
the plant round ?

Peas climb by wrapping tendrils around the support rather than by the
stem winding itself around in the manner of wisteria or honeysuckle, so
there's no need to fix it to the support. That said, they do this much
more effectively on twiggy branches rather than vertical smooth canes. I
would suggest using any sort of twiggy prunings you can get your hands
on. If you are stuck with having to use canes, try making a web of
string from one to the other - the peas will find this easier to climb.

--
Kay

K wrote:
NC writes

(Sorry for another beginner's question!)
If I place a cane next to each pea plant (they are about 6" tall now),
do I need to fix the plant to the cane as it grows, or can I just wind
the plant round ?


Peas climb by wrapping tendrils around the support rather than by the
stem winding itself around in the manner of wisteria or honeysuckle, so
there's no need to fix it to the support. That said, they do this much
more effectively on twiggy branches rather than vertical smooth canes. I
would suggest using any sort of twiggy prunings you can get your hands
on. If you are stuck with having to use canes, try making a web of
string from one to the other - the peas will find this easier to climb.


OK - thanks. I'll have a go putting in some canes and then running twine
between them. Should give the birds something to think about too....

Bob Hobden wrote:
"NC" wrote

(Sorry for another beginner's question!)
If I place a cane next to each pea plant (they are about 6" tall now), do
I need to fix the plant to the cane as it grows, or can I just wind the
plant round ?


As Kay says they self cling. We use wire netting on stout posts along the
rows for ours to climb up, putting a cane by each plant would take rather
too many canes when there are 4 rows. Alternatively you can use pea sticks
for low growing varieties cut from a suitable source or even buy Pea Netting
from a GC for the taller growing type.


I only have 2 rows, of about 10 plants per row. I have some lengths of
timber that I can fix netting to - a bit of timber at the end of each of
the rows, with the netting between should be fine (I hope!)

NC writes
Bob Hobden wrote:
"NC" wrote

(Sorry for another beginner's question!)
If I place a cane next to each pea plant (they are about 6" tall
now), do I need to fix the plant to the cane as it grows, or can I
just wind the plant round ?
As Kay says they self cling. We use wire netting on stout posts
along the rows for ours to climb up, putting a cane by each plant
would take rather too many canes when there are 4 rows. Alternatively
you can use pea sticks for low growing varieties cut from a suitable
source or even buy Pea Netting from a GC for the taller growing type.


I only have 2 rows, of about 10 plants per row. I have some lengths of
timber that I can fix netting to - a bit of timber at the end of each
of the rows, with the netting between should be fine (I hope!)

I would normally plant more peas than that. The individual plants aren't
as big as bean plants, and you lose a lot by throwing way the pods

Something to try next year is 'sugar snap' peas - the pod is edible too,
and unlike mangetout which have to be picked young, you can pick it when
the peas inside have swollen. So you get a bigger crop from the same
space, and are saved the job of shelling.
--
Kay

I would normally plant more peas than that. The individual plants aren't
as big as bean plants, and you lose a lot by throwing way the pods

Something to try next year is 'sugar snap' peas - the pod is edible too,
and unlike mangetout which have to be picked young, you can pick it when
the peas inside have swollen. So you get a bigger crop from the same
space, and are saved the job of shelling.

Thanks for the advice. M plot is only small, so only space for a handful
of peas (so I can have other things too). Bought some netting, a couple
of metal poles and some pegs this morning... now just waiting for the
rain to stop !
Also think I will pull up a third of the smaller plants and replant some
more seeds to lengthen the crop.

NC wrote:

Also think I will pull up a third of the smaller plants and replant some
more seeds to lengthen the crop.

Don't forget that peas fix their own nitrogen, and can be planted much
closer together than the usual instructions on the packet.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

Gary Woods wrote:
NC wrote:


Also think I will pull up a third of the smaller plants and replant some
more seeds to lengthen the crop.


Don't forget that peas fix their own nitrogen, and can be planted much
closer together than the usual instructions on the packet.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

hmm.. may inter-plant more then instead of pulling half up... Thanks for
the tip.

"NC" wrote

I only have 2 rows, of about 10 plants per row. I have some lengths of
timber that I can fix netting to - a bit of timber at the end of each of
the rows, with the netting between should be fine (I hope!)

You'll only get about one boiling off that.
Peas are normally grown by drawing a 6 inch wide flat bottomed trench and
spacing the pea seeds about 2 inches apart across and along the rows so you
get hundreds of plants in a row. (Unless the mice find them!)
That's why we grow up a strong wire netting not individual canes.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

In message , Bob Hobden
writes

"NC" wrote

I only have 2 rows, of about 10 plants per row. I have some lengths of
timber that I can fix netting to - a bit of timber at the end of each of
the rows, with the netting between should be fine (I hope!)

You'll only get about one boiling off that.

Ohh you boil them, our daughter just eats them from the plant, they
don't get to the pot :-)
--
Chris French

"chris French" wrote in message
...
In message , Bob Hobden
writes

"NC" wrote

I only have 2 rows, of about 10 plants per row. I have some lengths of
timber that I can fix netting to - a bit of timber at the end of each of
the rows, with the netting between should be fine (I hope!)

You'll only get about one boiling off that.

Ohh you boil them, our daughter just eats them from the plant, they don't
get to the pot :-)

Me too, I don't think I've ever eaten them boiled!

Alan

--
Chris French