Peas poser

[valentinelow]

I have got some sugar snap peas (Zucolla, from Tuckers), and the instructions talk about sowing them 3in apart "in fives" (their quotation marks). Does anyone have any idea what they mean? I originally thought they meant planting five at a time, because of waste (mice eating them, etc) but that sounds crazy. Do they mean planting them in a grid, 3in apart in both directions?

[valentinelow]

[growmore]

Imagine a five on a domino . Go  all the way down the row like this ..

*        *        *   
     *         *
*         *        *       etc ..Cheers Jim

[Titfertat]

Hi,

This is my first post so I hope it's not too silly a question.

I am growing pea "Rondo" (currently in two lengths of gutter and about 1" tall) and I can't find any info about how tall they are likely to grow.

I know there are tall peas and short peas and the support requirements are different for each.

Can anyone help???

[jennym]

Sown direct, Rondo got to about a metre tall in my soil, but I didn't water or feed.

[saddad]

Very few open sale modern peas get above 3' these days...
Specialists carry older varieties but tend to warn you how tall they get!
Alderman is the tallest pea still on open sale and it gets to 5'
;D

[Titfertat]

Thanks jennym & saddad.

Stupid pea question 2:

Is it necessary to support them still and, if so, what's the best way (given I don't have access to the "twiggy pea sticks, hazel is best" that every TV presenter seems to have an unlimited supply of - maybe they've got the monopoly on them which is why I can't find any!).

I've seen pea & bean netting in the GCs, but aren't sure how to use it: is it used vertically between poles or stretched horizontally across the peas at a certain height so they can grow through it?

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

I use short canes with the pea netting, and make a small slit in the top of the canes to secure the net in place, and tie the bottom of net to the cane with string

btw the "five pattern" is actually called a quincunx

[Melbourne12]

.... btw the "five pattern" is actually called a quincunx

• Should be in "Watershed"  :-[

[asbean]

We use hazel pea sticks bought from our allotment trading post, I think they organise parties to go out into the woods to collect them (with the farmers' permission of course).  But an alternative I've used is an old tennis net - my friend's husband dumped a couple of them on my doorstep several years ago, and they've been SO useful.