Peas/beans -- any reason this wouldn't work?

14 years ago

On another forum, one poster mentioned that he set his melons out among his climbing peas when the peas began setting pods. After the peas were harvested, the old vines were left in place, and the melons took over the trellis.

Is there any reason this wouldn't work with climbing peas and pole beans? (Maybe it's done often and I've just never heard of it.) The beans would climb the lower stems of the pea plants to eventually reach the trellis.

I have always wanted to use the same trellis for Spring peas and pole beans, but if I wait until May or June for the peas to finish producing and remove the pea plants to plant the pole beans, that's a later planting than is possible in this area if the trellis isn't being used. Maybe I could plant the pole beans 2-3 weeks earlier using this method.

Has anyone overlapped their pea and bean growing this way?

Can you anticipate any problems doing this with a north-south-oriented trellis?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

cabrita
14 years ago
Anney, it seems to work for me. In the old garden, the peas went in when the pole beans were close to being 'done' producing. The pole beans we used were Kentucky wonder, pole wax and purple peacock. The peas we used were pole sugar snaps (Oregon Giant) and pole snow peas. The peas started growing right when we took the beans out. We took them out by cutting the root and leaving the root on the ground. We did not use the beans to help the peas climb, but this did not seem to matter, the peas seem to always know what to do.

In another spot (in the new garden in z9), I have bush peas, but they really liked it when I put tomato cages there. I did that in two beds actually, one of them bush sugar snaps, the other bush snow peas. They did not mind little baby tomatoes in the cages either, and the tomatoes do not mind a bit, and thrive with the pea company. Now on the same bed (yes, I do crowd things...) I have a couple of tepees with the yard long type of cow peas. I got those in a trade and planted all the seed I had. They just sprouted and the peas are still pumping out pods, but getting yellow and too hot. By the time all the peas are out, the yard long beans will have more room, and can take over existing trellises. In the fall, I will do the exact same thing in reverse. It does work in both directions, at least here in my climate (zone 9 and previously 10). We do try to have some legume in harvest stage at all times, and so far so good....
anney
Original Author
14 years ago
cabrita

I was hoping I wouldn't have to remove any of the first vines at all but just plant close to them as they're finishing up and let the new vines climb up the first ones!

You say you cut off the vines and left the roots, and the peas started growing when you took the beans out. That's what I wanted to avoid. If I wait until the spring peas are finished to plant the summer beans, there is very little time for the beans to grow. That's why I was wondering about planting the beans right next to the peas right BEFORE the peas are harvested and not removing the pea vines at all, at least until the end of summer along with the spent bean vines.
Related Discussions
Just wouldn't be without 'em . . .
Q
Comments (11)
With this being only my second year to grow from seed with any kind of seriousness (not counting any year's before that as much more than dabbling), it's too soon to have many favorites, but here goes: Gazanias - took a while to start blooming but are the only annual, other than the African Daisies that are still alive and blooming. Petunias - Loved the 'Prism Sunshine' this year, a real blooming machine. Added 'Alladin Orange' to next year's list. Portulaca - Doesn't need watering or deadheading, and comes in a wide variety of colors. Profusion Zinnias - I've had horrible mildew issues with most varieties, but not a speck on my 'Profusion Apricot' this year. Took a long time to start blooming, but then what a show! Marigolds - I almost forgot about them, but they are also blooming machines, and come in all of my favorite flower colors - red, yellow, and orange, and a must have around the vegetable garden. Don't know if they really repel any pests or not, but who cares. Tomatoes - Out of the nine varieties that I actually got tomatoes from, I'm probably not repeating a single one!!! Yes, I loved the taste of Cherokee Purple, but I have seeds for at least 40 different varieties, so I feel obligated to try new ones next year. There will be more dual purpose tomatoes next year, ones that are good slicers, but also good for sauce making, and less cherries (4 of the nine were cherries, when one or two would have been plenty - I've given away bucketfuls!) Carrots - The first year I did it all wrong, and waited to the end of the season and harvested them all. They quickly became rubbery and limp in the fridge. This year, I planted them earlier, and have been picking them as I need them all summer. Sure they are cheap at the store, but there's no waste. I'm not buying a whole bag when I need one or two. Plus mine are thicker, longer, fresher, and more colorful! Peppers - I will grow more of them next year, several new to me varieties, but the one that will be a repeat is Revolution. It outperformed King of the North by a mile - thicker walls, earlier and more productive. There will also be some type of paprika, homemade paprika powder is way better than storebought! Peas - first year to grow them, and they will definitely be back Sweet Basil - I liked it best out of all of the varieties I grew this year, and is there really such a thing as too much basil? Bonnie
...See More
What breed wouldn't work with you ?
Q
Comments (35)
No big dogs. 40 lbs max for me. I like dogs that I don't have to buy a truck to transport. I don't like dogs with smashed in faces much. Although I have met some I like personally, I don't think I could stand to hear them wheezing. They seem to have such a hard time in hot weather. Don't like german shepherds much, they kind of scare me, I have known so many over the years that were vicious. Would never ever own a dog that was even part pit bull. Exceedingly yappy dogs, like schnauzers, and chihuahuas. Although I don't mind dogs that bark, just those non-stop high-pitched yappers. I like the terrier breeds and I like (and have owned several) dachshunds. Longhaired ones because they are more mellow than the smooth haireds. But unfortunately the american breeding trend is to breed them smaller and smaller miniature sized. WAY too small for me. So I doubt I will get another unless I can find a breeder of the standard size ones (rare in america). No teeny tiny dogs that you could kill if you accidentally stepped on it. cicidae: Most shih tzus that I have known have such great personalities. My aunt had two, my co-worker has two, my sister has one. So friendly. Owned a border collie. Great dog to train, too high of an energy level unless you have a big fenced in yard. This goes for most shepherd breeds and hunting breeds as well. No retrievers, for some reason that oil on their skin makes me sneeze. And I live on a river so those retrievers would not get out of there I am sure. Nice and stinky. Cocker spaniel: that breed has been ruined by overbreeding. I have known several that have severe personality problems. Completely untrainable.
...See More
How to treat front load washer spider-arm so that it wouldn't corrode?
Q
Comments (19)
In a solution with a ph greater than 7 (soapy water) the electrode potential difference between stainless steel and aluminum results in galvanic corrossion. Clean water rinses help to extend the life of the spider (the sacrificial anode), but changing the spider to stainless (best option), or passivating the aluminum with an alodine coating are better approaches. The question becomes: do I spend $500 on a new drum/spider (the Frigidaire spider/shaft cannot be purchased separately), plus $100 to passivate the spider, or apply that money to a new commercial machine with a stainless spider (e.g. Maytag, Speed Queen). . . ?
...See More
What did you eat as a child that you wouldn't eat now?
Q
Comments (120)
Jello. Only eat it now on that day before one of those procedures we must get every 5 or 10 years. Packaged pizza mix. It was all we had in the mid 60’s small town, and we teenagers thought it was so cool to make and press out dough on an pan and have pizza at a sleep-over. iceberg lettuce. I’m sure I have had it as an adult, but I try to avoid it. Thankfully my mother was a wonderful cook, my dad hated casseroles and lunch meat, so we avoided a lot of really bad stuff. He did eat sardines and saltines once in a while, and he had the kitchen totally to himself when he ate them. Canned LeSeur baby peas. One of the only canned foods my mother did buy other than tomato paste or sauce. I still like them on occasion. Loved them with her homemade mashed potatoes with butter. I would mix them together on my plate.
...See More
cabrita
14 years ago
No, no, sorry I did not explain well. It turned out that by the time the peas were out (little sprouts) the beans were done. It was timed this way. We put the pea seeds when we saw that the beans were at the end of their productive life, but still producing. We could have staggered it even more, and that would have been ok as far as trellis sharing, except for the extreme heat we got here last fall. I did not want the pea sprouts to bake during one of our +100F days. I got climbing cow peas now ready to share a trellis with peas that I have no intention of removing until they die. Here we have June gloom (longer than normal springs for our zone) so I am still harvesting a lot of peas. But, I am greedy and I also want beans early! So in other words, I am doing just what you are describing and so far it is working for me. Good luck with it!
anney
Original Author
14 years ago
Okay! Sorry I misunderstood what you were saying. I'm glad they worked for you -- it gives me heart!

What I may do is plant some "Tall Telegraph-Alderman" peas this fall the same way (alongside my beans) since I didn't plant any peas this past spring, fearing I'd miss planting my main crop pole beans at a reasonable time if I did.

I've never grown peas as a fall crop, so I'm going to have to figure out the best time to sow them. I think they germinate and grow well in warm or even hot weather but don't produce peas unless it's at least cool.

Peas/beans -- any reason this wouldn't work?

Comments (4)

cabrita

anney
Original Author

Related Discussions

cabrita

anney
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Peas/beans -- any reason this wouldn't work?

Comments (4)

cabrita

anneyOriginal Author

Related Discussions

cabrita

anneyOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

anney
Original Author

anney
Original Author