Ok, I know I can use sticks or netting, but exactly how is it done?
Assuming your row is, say, 4" wide there do you place the supports? If
sticks do you push them into the centre, or along the outsides, perhaps
leaning in. If netting where and how do you position that? Surely if
on the outside come harvest time it will be difficult to reach the peas.
TIA

In article ,
Broadback writes:
| Ok, I know I can use sticks or netting, but exactly how is it done?
| Assuming your row is, say, 4" wide there do you place the supports? If
| sticks do you push them into the centre, or along the outsides, perhaps
| leaning in. If netting where and how do you position that? Surely if
| on the outside come harvest time it will be difficult to reach the peas.

I do it in the middle, when they are small, or at one side with
a large gauge net.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Janet Baraclough wrote:

The message
from Broadback contains these words:


Ok, I know I can use sticks or netting, but exactly how is it done?
Assuming your row is, say, 4" wide there do you place the supports? If
sticks do you push them into the centre, or along the outsides, perhaps
leaning in. If netting where and how do you position that? Surely if
on the outside come harvest time it will be difficult to reach the peas.
TIA


I use sticks (cut from fallen trees, not bamboo canes). I plant the
peas in a drill 4" wide, cover and firm them down, then push the trimmed
sticks in down the middle of the row, about 6" apart (windy location).
Okay, I probably ram a few pea seeds to oblivion but it makes no
difference.

When you're selecting and trimming the sticks, the ideal is to have
a robust central stem of the height appropriate to the pea type, with a
clear section at the bottom and plenty of strong sideshoots all the way
up, which I trim back to about 6 ". When pushing the smooth end in the
ground (as deep as possible) I turn the shoots sideways to mesh or
interlock them with the adjacent stick's sideshoots. Sounds a lot
fancier than the time it takes. As the peas climb, they will lock the
whole row of sticks together anyway.

Some people delay putting in the sticks until the peas are showing, but
I find putting them in straight away is better because it prevents birds
scratching about in the pea-drill.


Janet.
Thank you all. Have you noticed that the advice normally available is
very detailed in complex matters. However they always seem to believe
that you have a fair basic understanding. Like cooking recipes, say
things like Blanche and Saute expecting you to know.

On Tue, 26 Apr 2005 18:15:36 +0100, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

The message
from Broadback contains these words:

Have you noticed that the advice normally available is
very detailed in complex matters. However they always seem to believe
that you have a fair basic understanding. Like cooking recipes, say
things like Blanche and Saute expecting you to know.

Let me explain.

Almost anything can be done in less than half the time required to
explain it to a man. (That includes, explaining the same thing to a
woman). One of the problems is that when you tell a man how to do
something, half way through he says he's just remembered he does know
how to do that. Then he goes away and does half of it. Much later, when
he finally admits the missing half is missing, you start explaining
what to do next. Half way through, he says he's just remembered he does
know how to .....

Aesop's fable wasn't it? about birds taking advice on building nests,
iirc the pigeon was the first to leave the tutorial.

=================================================

Rod

Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

In article ,
Janet Baraclough wrote:

Almost anything can be done in less than half the time required to
explain it to a man. (That includes, explaining the same thing to a
woman). ...

I am sexist, and quite happy to admit it. Which sex I regard as the
stupid one depends on the sex of the person who annoyed me last.
I suspect that you are similar :-)

Completely off-topic, all young girls should be told the one about
the brain, the penis and the blood supply - and should be told that,
just because it is a joke, doesn't mean that it isn't true.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

You need to know that the average pea plant is not at all bright and
will instinctively grow away from whatever support you provide. The twig
method doesn't work very well because of that.

Use the netting between two poles method. When the plants are about a
foot high and some are wandering, stretch string between the poles about
6" above the ground fairly tightly so was to put the wayward plants
towards the netting.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

Steve Harris muttered:

You need to know that the average pea plant is not at all bright and
will instinctively grow away from whatever support you provide. The twig
method doesn't work very well because of that.

Damn it ( the twigs in my 'pea-to-be' prepared bed look so funky...

I take your point and am sure you have more experience with them, but I
didn't notice that behaviour in the sweet peas I grew last year on a wigwam.
I ran out of wigwam height eventually, so determined were they to keep going
onward and upward, or do edible peas differ in that respect?

Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message
from (Steve Harris) contains these words:

You need to know that the average pea plant is not at all bright

I dunno where you get those thick peas. Mine must be above
average.

and
will instinctively grow away from whatever support you provide.

Not IME. The tendrils reach out, almost smooth and straight
with a
small curve at the tip, until the tip touches something then
corkscrews around it. The corkscrewing action shortens the tendril
pulling the pea stem towards the stick support.

Glad you said that: I was beginning to feel as thick as one of
Steve's peas, as mine have always seemed to get the hang of climbing.

--
Mike.