[savbo]

I'm also planning on growing across my 4' beds, 2 rows of Kelvedon Wonder, 2 rows of Oregon Sugar Pod and 1 of Feltham First. Will successional plant the KW and mangetout to extend the season a bit

I'm planning on using stakes and string as per DD pics, and also following DD by giving the traditional twiggy sticks approach a miss and covering the whole bed with fleece until the peas are pig enough to need stakes.

Not expecting a huge harvest but at least this way we can easily tell the mangetout from the peas and stop the 7yo from eating everything when the pods are still flat...

[VirginVegGrower]

Mid March is a rough guide. Don't do it if it's really cold.

Well you are not far away from me geographically so I will consult you mid March if you don't mind. I assume you think gutter sowing a waste of time and direct sow is good enough - it's what I did last year - just too late.I did suffer a bit too with a degree of nibbling, any ideas?

[DD.]

I think I've mentioned before, gutter sowing 200' of peas is out of the question. I have to net my peas from start to finish against, firstly rodents, then pigeons.

[Rampant_Weasel]

how did you net against your champion of england? must have been big nets?

[DD.]

It's close spaced horizontal twine.

[VirginVegGrower]

I think I've mentioned before, gutter sowing 200' of peas is out of the question. I have to net my peas from start to finish against, firstly rodents, then pigeons.

200' of peas equals one big flat bed lorry  and pinched guttering from all my neighbouring houses plus a few more. Hmm...think I'll direct sow 

Anyone else think the smilies look like fat juicy peas.

[DD.]

I feel I must apologise to Kristen as the thread seemed to lose direction after I posted in it. 

Any "bed" type person able to assist with questions posed?

[mumofstig]

Rows of peas in the garden beds were crossways. 2 canes about 8 in apart on one side of the bed, and 2 canes to match on the other.
Sow a triple row from one set of canes to the other, and use strings from a post one side of the bed to the one on t'other side.This supports the peas each side ( the same as in DD's photos) just that the posts are only 4ft apart, if you see what I mean   I didn't use any netting, just the strings

[Kristen]

I feel I must apologise to Kristen as the thread seemed to lose direction after I posted in it. 

No worries, lots of useful information posted, thanks.

I did wonder if string would do, instead of netting. That would work well for me, thanks.

One thing which would help me:

What's the duration from First Pod Picked until Last Pod Produced for a pea crop?

That will help me plan my successional planting better.

[shokkyy]

One thing which would help me:

What's the duration from First Pod Picked until Last Pod Produced for a pea crop?

That will help me plan my successional planting better.

You know, I'd really like to get that question answered for broad beans too. I want to succession plant them this year and I've never grown them before.

[DD.]

I feel I must apologise to Kristen as the thread seemed to lose direction after I posted in it. 

One thing which would help me:

What's the duration from First Pod Picked until Last Pod Produced for a pea crop?

That's something I've never actually measured, but I'm guessing about 3 weeks or so.

[totalnovice]

Thanks everyone in the thread i have been wondering about pea planting and most of my questions have been answered here! so watch this space. 

[scousemouse]

I've planted peas in my beds.  I remember following advice to put peas in a grid like the 5 on a dice (or domino set).  I put the stakes and netting in for them to climb up but it was too far away for some of them.  The packet recommended a 2' wide trench! 

I think I got it completely wrong.  'cos the peas were too far away from the netting in the middle to climb up the netting.

Ah well.  Last year I put the canes/pea sticks in, planted the seedlings I started in the greenhouse along the row of canes/sticks (inside the sticks) and sowed peas inbetween the seedlings.  It worked, apart from the pea-moth.