Pea supports

[MINESAPINT]

I tried to describe my pea supports earlier this year but can now provide a photo:

[urbanwookie]

Are these simply cylinders made of sheep fencing? Excellent idea!

urb

[farmerdrea]

Well, thanks to your earlier post, I have been savings fence scraps as we repair our paddock fencing here, all with pea 'cages' in mind! Thanks again!

Andrea
NZ

[MINESAPINT]

Yes, just cylinders made of sheep fencing about 30 to 36 inches diameter. Join 2 together lengthways for tall varieties. Dig them into the ground about 3 inches for stability. Just need to watch any sharp ends when picking.

[Millymollymandy]

I can't see what I'm supposed to be looking at as your photo won't enlarge. Can you make it bigger please then repost (max 700 pixels). Then we can click on it to see what you are trying to show us!

[barefootlinzi]

do you think you could do this with wire mesh with thinner holes? I have some wire mesh left over from a rabbit hutch lying around and it is about an inch in diameter.

[MINESAPINT]

Will try to enlarge photo later & put another one on.

Do not think it will work with smaller chicken type mesh as it is not strong enough to support enormous weight of peas!!! Also you need to get your hand through the meshes to pick the pods that develop on the inside.

[Cheezy]

I tried something a bit different. I used broadbean plants to support the peas.
In part it worked, except after the unseasonal winds we got a few weeks back flattened some of the beans.
I sowed my beans a bit closer than normal, surrounded the area with canes and tied string around to help support the beans, grew peas in pots at the same time (as the mice eat the pea's but not the beans!), then planted peas in amonst the beans. It did work, and is a good use if the space is a bit tight., you have to keep an eye out for all the pea's in amongst the beans otherwise it was OK.

[SarahJane]

Your peas put mine to shame! Yours look amazing! I have managed to get some peas off mine but they wouldnt grow "upwards" even though they had supports. Perhaps I just brought the wrong variety. The few peas I have picked though were very sweet and very tender but never made it to a pan, they were eaten straight from the garden!
What variety of peas did you grow Minesapint?

[MINESAPINT]

SarahJane, Pea variety is Hurst Greenshaft. I have tried several but as these are successful I stick to them.

[MINESAPINT]

More pictures. You can see they also provide suitable rake & hoe storage.

[MINESAPINT]

Hope these pictures are clearer.

[MINESAPINT]

Summary:

If anyone is replacing a sheep netting fence much of the old wire is suitable for making these pea supports. Just take about a 10 or 12 foot length and roll it into a tube. Secure with string or electricians tape. You will note from the photos I have often used 20 to 24 foot and rolled it round twice. I have also joined some together to make them higher for taller varieties. Hurst Greenshaft grow to about five feet tall.

To plant the peas I place the support in the proposed location to make an imprint in the soil. I then scratch the soil out to about 3 inches deep. Then place the wire back in the hole and fill in slightly. Throw the peas into the circular trench and fill level with about 2 inches of soil. I plan to plant the peas about 1 inch apart but you have to judge how many you will lose to mice and plant accordingly. I have 12 of these supports and used 3 packets of 700 peas in each. 2,100 divided by 12 = 175 pea seeds per support.

This year I have placed my supports too close to each other and the peas are growing into each other. Ideally you could do with at least 2 feet between each support. It will make picking a little more challenging.

[Millymollymandy]

Thanks a lot, now I can see much better what you were trying to show. They look very pretty especially with the poppies in the foreground.

I've never grown peas so I've no idea how they grow but they look very bushy plants indeed. We put similar supports around our dahlias which get hidden by the foliage but saves on having to stake up which is pretty ugly, only we use the green plastic covered wire fencing material which is practically invisible anyway.

[MINESAPINT]

If its poppies you like......