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I feel dumb to realise I have no idea how peas get pollinated. Or broad beans for that matter.

Last year the first lot of peas I grew got pecked off by birds when they reached about 8", so I covered the second lot with strawberry netting, and when they grew to about 30" I removed the netting - and the birds pecked off most of that lot!

I put in some pea sticks at the weekend ready to transplant my seedlings, and put a 3' frame either side, thinking I'd cover the peas with strawberry netting this year at the start, and leave it on for the whole time.

Then I thought, but does something need to get in there to pollinate the peas? Do bees pollinate peas? Or something smaller?  If I make a few holes in the strawberry netting might whatever it is find their way in and out? And/or is there any other reason not to leave the peas under netting all the time?

Any info, thoughts or experience would be very welcome.
Anthea

Peas pollinate themselves before the flowers open... which also makes saving your own seed dead easy. Broad Beans need insect pollination and therefore cross very easily.

I didn't know peas self pollinated like that......................fankoo ;)

QuotePeas pollinate themselves before the flowers open... which also makes saving your own seed dead easy

As do sweet peas!

I only cover my peas for a week or two after planting out ( this is the stage birds love them) or if sown directly until they are around 12" high then I just leave them to their own resources. The only problem (if you could call it a problem) they might be attacked by pea beetle which nibble the edges of the leaves which does no real harm generaly.

I saw with me own eyes some bumble bees on the broad beans not so long ago. SO there is one for the list...

I have some over wintering broadbeans which are under a mesh cloche at the moment and are about 8" high.  I guess I should remove the cloche then for pollination - just wondering what I should use then to stop the pigeons (who incidentally have chomped all my PSB when the wind blew off their cover!).

Shotgun....
::)