best pea trellis?

[snowcap]

I can't keep my pea plants on the trellis. I have made various lenth ones with electrical conduit and several types of fencing,string and twine. the plants don't catch the fencing.
This last summer I used a peice of chain link fence and they still flopped over.
Those were Oregon sugar peas, this year I want to grow Lincoln shell peas.
I would appreciate any advice to make it work.

[vicki in NW OH]

Pea brush. I use twiggy limbs. Birch is traditional, but I don't have birch here. I just go back to the woods and find what I need.

[PurpleToad]

This past year I used 3 foot rabbit fencing with t-post stakes spaced about 10 foot apart. I planted a row on each side of the fence about 3-4 inches away from the fence. This held up great, was easy to pick, easy to clean up, and will be able to reuse it again next year. If the fence itself tends to flop to one side or the other, you can always put in more posts to hold it. I had 1 variety of pea that was supposed to grow about 4-6 foot tall so I raised that fence off the ground 8" or so. When the plants got to where they were initially starting to vine, I would help them get started on the fence if they were leaning the other way, but for the most part once started they would climb it very well.

[1shotwade]

Put up what you want the peas to climb on.Plant a row of peas on each side.Lay a garden type grade string on the outside of each row. As they start to grow lift and tighten the strings which will pull the plants in toward the trellis. after they are established on the trellis remove the strings form the outside of the rows and put them up to use again next year.

Wade

[woodsy]

3-4' tall chicken wire. Tie to stakes or make a wooden frame out of 1 x 4s and tie that to stakes .

[Haywood]

I use 4 foot metal fencing and drive 4 tposts the length of my 20 foot beds. I then plant on either side of it. I just wire tie the fencing to the stakes.

If the fencing moves at all (big wind storm) we sometimes anchor it with a short spike driven into the ground with a chain attached, like the kind you tie dogs to. Works great.

The good part about this setup is that we can reuse it every year.


Sent from my iPod touch using Homesteading Today

[motdaugrnds]

Snowcap, are you tying your vines to your trellis to give them a start in climbing?

[snowcap]

Originally Posted by motdaugrnds

Snowcap, are you tying your vines to your trellis to give them a start in climbing?

no, but I sure could try it.

[spud]

My peas do best when I weave them through my trellis, homemade netting, 12inch squares. I'm lazy. I only grow sugar snaps, can't help ya other varieties thou.

spud

[where I want to]

I made a couple of pcv 1/2" pipe folding trellises with 4"x4" spacing old field fencing over them. They are pretty big as peas grow wonderully well here- about 5' high by 6' long.
They are built like an old folding clothes drying rack - for a tent-like structure that I could walk through to pick from the inside and the outside.
Here the peas grow over the top and down the other side.
I could fold them flat and store each year- they are over 10 years old now.

[Danaus29]

I've had to start my peas on the trellis to. Once started they climb, if I don't start them they flop on the ground.

[unregistered41671]

I just drive 3 or 4 T posts and wire one of these to them.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/stor...ft-l-x-50-in-h

[DJ54]

Here are some pics of a couple I made this year. Both use T-posts, but one I used twine cut from my roundbales, and the other I clipped a fence panel to the posts.

The twine one was tied in approx. 6" X 6" squares. I kept the bottom off the ground about 6". It should have been 2"-3" off the ground. Some of the pea vines grew right under it, never catching it.

80% of the peas grabbed hold, and climbed. I helped the rest get started. Once those little tendrils wrap, you're good to go, unless you have a big wind come a long.

The one with the fence panel was for the bird house gourds. I never raised them before, and NEVER dreamed they'd grow like this..!! As you can see in the one pic part way down the row, the gourd vine took of on the pea trellis. It eventually went on down to the potatoes, then headed due south, out the ridge. It grew another approx. 70' before the frost got it.

No fertilizer was applied to any of these plants, although the dirt was up to snuff on nutrients. The only thing I did was gave them a good soaking every 3 days with compost tea, simply made from composted leaves. Made a believer out of me..!!