After the pea seedlings broke ground and made their appearance, Steve asked, “Do you plan to trellis those?”
“Do I need to trellis them?”
He shook his head. “They’re peas. Of course you need to trellis them.”
I envisioned a network of sticks and string guaranteed to require more architectural experience than I happen to have.
“Are you sure I have to?”
He nodded solemnly.
“Really?”
“Genie,” he said. “They’re vines. They’re going to need to be trellised.”
“How am I supposed to know these things?” I said. “The only peas I’ve known are from the freezer. Or the can.”
Unfortunately, it’s true. I’ve had snow peas, sure. Or sugar snap peas. Versions of the pea that only require the destringing of the pod to make them edible. But garden-fresh peas, shelled and eaten? Never.
So I know nothing about trellising. But I have a feeling I’m about to find out.
I’m growing bush peas and the packet said they don’t need trellising. So far they’re kind of leaning on each other, so I’m waiting and seeing. Are you sure you have vining peas?
As for the trellis, I’ve never done it, but my dad tells me it’s not that hard. He drives a couple of sticks in the ground, puts string across them high and low, and then ties more string vertically between the two horizontal ones.
Jenny, this is good info — thank you (and thanks to your Dad)! I have no idea what kind of peas I have, actually. I mean, they’re Alaska Peas, but in terms of bush or vine…I have no idea. More research is definitely in order.
I’ve never had much luck with peas, probably because I’ve not used trellis properly. My advice is don’t just put a garden cane in the ground and hope they grow up it, because from my experience they don’t do this very well. I will also be following Jenny’s dad’s advice!
Sara from farmingfriends
I am growing peas (snow and pod varieties in separate containers) and they have a cute antenna-like feeler coming out of the top. I stuck a few pieces of bamboo in the container — imagining no more than 2 plants per cane — and the peas are reaching out and attaching to the bamboo on their own. I don’t remember the ones in my mom’s vegetable garden needing more than that, but that was more than 20 years ago!
I’m really enjoying reading your site, I think I’m a season behind you on the experiment, but the one thing I’ve learned is to do research on-line before planting. I’ve made 2 mistakes so far (that I know of) — peppermint in the 1/2 barrel herb garden, which I dug up 2 weeks later to transplant into its own pot and was shocked to find the root ball had more than doubled in size and had a huge tap root coming out already and buying dill to transplant into the herb garden rather than growing it from seed — they’re not lying when they say it doesn’t do well as a transplant.
I’m a lazy trelliser (is that a word?) anyway, when I grow things that need to be trellised (is that a word?) I just stick a tomato cage around it. It takes about 3 seconds. Then I have plenty of time to read trashy magazines and blog.
I also grow fava beans. They don’t need a trellis just a nice bottle of chianti and someones liver:)
Good luck with the trellis! It’s not too complicated, but peas seem to like small horizontal things to grab onto with their little tendrils.
Re: chigiy’s comment about fava beans… *shiver* I haven’t been able to think about fava beans the same ever again after seeing that movie.
I’m glad to have found your blog–I can’t wait to see how your peas grow. Happy trellising. When I was a kid, my parents used to trellis all kinds of legumes on teepees and my brother and I used to play under them. They were our garden forts.
I’m having a trellis conundrum as well. You could fashion something out of branches (cute and rustic and labor intensive), you could purchase a piece of hardware store trellis (also cute, could be rustic if you got the right kind, and probably reusable), you could use chicken wire or a section of chain link (efficient, but not very pretty) or you could fish the abandoned grocery cart out of the ditch (or in my case, out of my neighbor’s back yard) and use that (efficient but may lower your property value and your friends opinion of your sanity and good taste.)
Good luck, whatever you try!
Michelle
I made a pretty nice trellis last year out of twine and straight branches left over from pruning the apple trees. It did the job and added a nice rustic feel to the garden, but if I were to do it again I’d probably go with my new garden friend, the t-pole and some sort of plastic netting. Ugly, but reusable.
I always have good intentions to go the string and stick route, but in the end, I make bamboo teepees… three canes tied with a brightly-coloured ribbon and the peas, beans, morning glories can twine away. For peas, you’d only need short canes - those 3 ft. long ones!!
Sara, I appreciate the advice — I definitely won’t try that technique!
Heather, that rootball on the mint is quite amazing, isn’t it? I couldn’t believe it the first time I saw one.
Chigiy, I like your style…wine, blogging, easy-non-trellising? Perfect!
Sandia, I have never thought the same about fava beans again either, but they’re so tasty!
Christina, I love the thought of garden forts. What a fun way to play!
Michelle, I’m definitely going to err on the side of easy and reusable, no matter what.
Steven, I remember your trellis — definitely a good thing. But possibly too pretty for me…
Kate, brightly colored ribbon…that sounds attractive to me…hmm…will have to give that some thought.