unsupported peas

Never heard of that 
IMO even the small varieties could do with a bit of help to stop them laying on the ground

I have done this if they are dwarf and really clumped together, picking is tricky and the snails enjoy the shade, but netting and rows are a better option I think.

I wasn't fast enough one year to tie up my peas and they quickly got into a tangled mess on the ground so I thought I'd let them grow au naturel. Big mistake. Rain and lack of air made many pods go moldy fast and the mice feasted royally where I couldn't see them. I ended up with about 2 handfuls, hardly worth the space and time 

Thanks for all the advise and yes iv just read DDs advise its great and really helpfull 

I wouldn't grow them unsupported deliberately, but a couple of years ago I sowed some excess peas as green manure, the late crop was unexpected and a pleasant surprise.