[GrannieAnnie]

Hi Oliveview!!  No, peas don't have to grow up canes.  When I grew some years ago, like you said, they grew quite close to the ground and I just used little twiggy sticks, but these ones I bought this year they reckon grow up to 5ft, so thought I'd put them up canes, then if they don't reach the top, well it doesn't matter does it?  Got my broad beans growing up little canes as I don't know how tall they grow?

[Jerry]

The height of the pea plant depends on the variety. Most popular ones like Kelvedon Wonder, Onward,  Lincoln, Hurst Greenshaft etc will probably get to around 2 ft high (give or take 6"). So these are ok to be supported just on twiggy pea sticks.
But there are others like Alderman, a late season one, or some sugarsnap types, that grow to 4 or 5 ft tall, and so you need something a bit more tall and substantial.
For broad beans, I find they don't need much support, I grow them in a block and just put short canes at each corner, with twine looped around to keep them from flopping. The Sutton, a dwarf one doesn't really need support - it seems to do ok on its own.

[GrannieAnnie]

I've got some broad beans for the first time and have them next to small canes, but I noticed the other day that they are a dwarf variety, so won't get very tall, but how tall is dwarf?  One of my magazines says that when they show their first flowers, to pinch the top 1. to bush them out and 2. to help prevent blackfly, but do I need to pinch them out yet?  They are only about 8 inches tall.

Also anyone know how tall butter beans grow?

[Jake]

you haven't got 10 feet in height to spare have you grannieannie? :?

Florida Butter Bean (AKA. Florida Speckled Butter Bean, Florida Calico Pole Lima Bean)
Origin: USA
Item #: LIMABEAN003
The Florida Butter Bean, also known under the names of Florida Speckled Butter Bean and Florida Calico Pole Lima Bean is an 1840's era heirloom Lima Bean from Florida. The variety seems to be closely related to the Christmas Pole Lima Bean, which it resembles.
This excellent variety produces an abundance of three and one half inch long, green pods in clusters, that each contain three or four, medium small, buff colored lima beans with maroon spots or irregular stripes. The vigorous vines of this variety grow up to 10 feet in height and produce exceptionally well over a long season. Though this variety does well in all climates, it performs exceptionally well in hot, humid weather.
The beans may be utilized fresh, frozen or canned and possess a fine, buttery flavor.
Matures in 78 to 82 days.

From anioleka seeds

[GrannieAnnie]

Well Jake!!!!  Fancy sending me a 10 foot bean!!!! lol  what if they grow up the 6ft canes and over the top of the greenhouse, or better still OH's shed??? lol  Otherwise, I'll train them up a 6ft cane wigwam, then down the other side of another one!!!!  Thanks for that, they are looking good!!  I've put the chard seeds in and the other bits, but have never tried chard before.  What's it taste like???

[Jake]

I don't remember reading that they got ten foot high lol. Am a bit concerned myself now!

Swiss chard is lovely, raw its a bit like a chinese leaf type cabbage. Steamed it's good with roast. you know, I don't eat it everyday or anything. looks nice. could even go amongst ornamentals.

Again, sorry about the 10ft bean thing,lol.

[Heather_S]

Just get a little step ladder(if you're short like me) and pinch out the growing tip of the bean stalk when it gets to the top of the cane. No problems. Then the plant can get on with producing some beans for you rather than just growing unnecessarily and causing headaches.
I think raw chard is more like spinach (baby kind anyway, fairly mild) but it goes kind of bitter when cooked. I keep having to do swiss chard gratin full of fatty cheese sauce with the swiss chard chopped up in it.

Oh and be prepared for chard forever. I thought they were suppose to bolt by now but mine is still going strong, stood through the winter with no cover mostly... darn thing is trying to overshadow its neighbouring herbs  :evil: They are rather impressively pretty if you get the Bright Lights or Ruby chard kind with coloured stems. And yes you can eat the stems, just separate and cook them a few minutes more before adding the greens to wilt down.

[Jerry]

.. but how tall is dwarf?  ...

erm, about 2 feet (60cm)

[GrannieAnnie]

thanks again for the info's, can't wait to try all these new things I'm going to grow.  Haven't had butter beans for years, and OH has never tried them before, and neither of us has eaten chard before,  ooooh, I can't wait!!!

The thing is, you want everything to get big really quickly don't you once it starts growing.  I keep putting my radio on in the greenhouse, and telling all the plants to grow grow grow!!!! lol

[Nugget]

planted my peas under clouche in feb, now they are a foot high, people come over and have a look and congratulate me on them, quite pleased with them it was the first thing i planted, i got 3 rows first row are a foot, the next ones are just coming through and my third row will go in at the end of the month.

[Biscombe]

2 attempts at peas and they always end up with mildew despite fighting it!!! AAAaaarrrrggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!! will always plant mildew resistant peas from now on!! anyone out there with mildew problems??

[Phoenix]

nope aint got no mildew problems, my first lot of peas r about 2ft high, going to put my 2nd lot out 2moz if it aint raining, and then sow my 3rd lot

[yewtreemob]

We grow a lot of peas because our 5 year old daughter loves them - she won't eat them cooked or in the house but sits in the garden eating them off the plant (same with runner beans, parsley etc).

Firstly how high they grow depends on variety and how high you let them grow - pinch the tops out when you get to the top of the support.  I start the year with Feltham First which I keep in rootrainers all winter after an October sowing - they grow to about 24" and are on obelisks.  I am also trying Meteor this year - supposedly a very short pea - I sowed them in root trainers in Feb an they have been in the ground for 4 weeks now - still very short although they are showing signs of getting going!  The Feltham First are actually cropping but it's not a very good year for peas by the look of it.

For main crop I sow Jaguar and Balmoral - they grow to about 24" - some will be on tepees and some on netting.  I hate the netting - takes me ages to unravel it every year!

I am also sowing a heritage variety this year called Western Express which I m putting on 72" canes - I believe it is a very tall variety.

Commercially peas are grown without support but like everything else they use varieties bred to behave like that - as Bob Flowerdew would say - we grow for flavour and the old varities which need support are bred for taste.  I can't comment as I have never grown a commercial variety.  If the allotment programme is comming back on to BBC television I recall that somebody on the London allotment had sown frozen peas so maybe we will get some feedback from that.

If wind is the problem Grannieannie, I suggest you use netting slung between 4" by 4" timber set in metposts.  It can get very windy here in Herefordshire in a SW gale - the peas are ok on netting with canes but runner beans need much moe support.

Don't suffer much from mice - they are here but I grow in root trainers till they are 6" high and then tie them on.  Nothing much else causes damage but I do get holes in leaves etc - think it's a moth.  In a wet spring like this year  (sorry to those in drought land!)one I am worried about rot and wilt but I usually just double the volume to allow for it.

[supersprout]

What do u all use to grow peas up? i used netting last yr but id prefer to try something different.. o and wot r pea sticks lol again i saw alan titchmarsh use them but cant seem to buy them

Hi phoenix, try http://www.allotmentforestry.com/direct.htm for sustainable hazel plant supports near you  You have to get organised ahead of time as coppicing happens in Jan/Feb.

Hazel bundles for pea sticks were still for sale on a farm just east of Chipping Norton on Monday, so they are around!

[Phoenix]

thanks supersprout will check it out Ive made like a trellis type of thing with canes, so hopefully that should be ok for this yr... they r growing gr8 anyway so might have solved the problem

Edit: Just checked site and they dont cover south wales