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my peas are doing really really well, I would just like to know what the next step is please.  Can these be planted outside now, and how do I do this.  I am very new to peas, do I put them against a wall, can I do the same sort of thing that you do with runner beans, please help I don't know where to start

i grew mine up short canes with twine run in between them they did well on that

can I do that at the lottie, someone told me to try two canes then put chicken wire in the middle for them to climb on.  With the twine  how far would I space it inbetween each other going down in rows if that makes sense

we do short rows across the beds, 4' each with chicken wire attached to canes ether side..just watch out for slugs and frosts  ;D
oh, and pigeons  ;D

Being a traditionalist I use "pea-sticks"( any length of old prunings set to form an arch) Helps the peas climb and keeps the birds off ;)

Quote from: caseylee on April 28, 2008, 20:16:33
my peas are doing really really well, I would just like to know what the next step is please.  Can these be planted outside now, and how do I do this.  I am very new to peas, do I put them against a wall, can I do the same sort of thing that you do with runner beans, please help I don't know where to start

You are lucky a mouse has eaten all of ours in the polytunnel plus the sweet corn and the peppers...but I got the b****r last night..just hoping he doesn't have an army of mates.

You and me both Lee!
:-X

Your peas will be fine outdoors now; slugs like them so a few slug pellets will help, about one pellet for each plant is enough.

Peas cling on, they have little curly stringy things (tendrils) that grab out to anything nearby for support . You need to guide them on to pea sticks or netting. If it grabs something you do not want it to like a nearby plant, you wont harm the pea by cutting one or two tendrils off.

Runner beans climb by the stem growing spirally round and round a cane. Like a helter skelter.

Peas are not usually difficult to grow, once they get to about a foot tall they usually look after themselves, just need a tidy up if they wander in odd directions. When they are young, if the leaves look a little curly or the plant is limp it will need extra water.

Varieties differ, some will grow six feet tall and others are dwarf and will cling to one another not needing much extra support at all.

I have even heard of people growing peas in pots on a low roof and letting them hang down instead of growing up.

They do not mind if they are put in a shady place either.

You could pin some net or just put strings in lines on a wall and let them grow up that if you want to. They only need to be planted a couple of inches apart from each other, if you are short of space.

To check when the peas are ready, hold a pod towards the sun and you can see through the pod, it is ready to eat when it is full. Pinch between the finger and thumb at the seam on the pointed end of the pod to pop it.

Children love to eat peas straight off the plant. That is the best way to eat peas and a far better treat than sweets.

Enjoy

my bible has always been the encyclopaedia of veg gardening by Biggs and Healey. they were going for 89p last night on amazon, i know because i bought 3 copies for friends of mine. my daughter, neighbour and a friend have all recently had me digging, planting or advising them and its got me back in the frame of growing for myself. ive purchased these books as hopeful bibles for them too, tho im sure there may well be much newer bibles out there. my original is book club associates , the ones ive ordered arnt but im hoping that with same authors and titles it'll be a godsend to anyone who reads it. mine is now full of notes, lacks a cover but is still a dream to hold xx

I grow them up wigwams or netting supported by canes, but then I like the old-fashioned tall varieties.