If you are planning on growing peas this year, then you will need a way to support them and allow them to climb. There are lots of options available, but which will be best for you?
let's look at some of your choices and discuss the pros and cons below.
Wigwam
A staple of British cottage gardens and allotments, peas look so right growing up a homemade wigwam.
In my photo below the wigwam is made from hazel but this could just as easily be made from bamboo canes, although I think we can all agree that the hazel does look better!
Bamboo Canes
An allotment favourite, a row of bamboo canes. Ideal for holding up peas and makes a lot of sense if you have your allotment or veg patch already set up in rows.
This is how I grow my peas and it always works well. You will need to tie your peas in at first but after a while, they tend to become self-supporting.
Stick Frames
If you wanna a natural rustic look and also want to reuse natural materials then give sticks/branches a go.
You could create an archway like the image above, or maybe more of a wigwam.
Use string to fasten it all together and you can end up with completely natural supports.
Netting
Peas will love to climb up any netting. They can grow up chicken wire, square metal or even plastic netting.
All the holes give the plants plenty of areas to get their suckers into and attach themselves to.
Something like this is a good idea if your peas grow in a particularly windy spot as it gives them plenty to hook onto.
The finer the netting the more areas the peas have to attach themselves.
String
You can build a solid frame above the peas and suspend some string or twine from it.
The peas will start to attach themselves to the twin and grow up it. Something as simple as this provides more than enough support for growing peas.
Above we can see some peas growing up string suspended from a simple bamboo cane frame.
This works well for a few peas but if you are planning on growing a lot of pea plants close together, then you will probably want to use something more substantial for your frame.
Trellis
Peas and trellises really go together.
Peas just love to climb up a good trellis, so if you have a wall or fence that could be well suited to a trellis then give this method a try.
Materials to use
So let's get together a list of all the materials you can use to build a support structure for your peas.
- Bamboo Canes
- Hazel / Other Sticks
- String / Twine
- Netting
- Wire
- Trellis Fencing
Tieing Peas in
So as I alluded to earlier you will probably need to tie your peas into whatever support you decide to use, at least at first.
I like to use a little bit of string or twin but the metal gardening ties you can get are really easy to use as you just have to give them a few twists.
One thing you really need to look out for here is not putting the ties on too tight. Peas are delicate, especially when they are young. If you put your ties on too tight you can snap the stem and either kill or seriously harm your young plant, setting growth back by weeks.
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