Is this a silly idea for beans and peas?

10 years ago

Blue Lake green beans and sweet pea planting:

The growing area for the peas and beans will run parallel to the fence line offset 5 feet.

Jute to be strung from the planting area angled up and attacked to the fence. If the beans or peas extend beyond this plane I can add a down-sloping twine on the other side of the chain-link fence.

I'm utilizing the suggestion often made for cucumbers whereby tender varieties are planted beneath the cukes shading the area.

I've not successfully grown beans and peas because of soil issues which I have remedied.

Will this work for them?

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Comments (6)

farmerdill
10 years ago
Question? Are you talking about sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) or English peas (Pisum sativum)? Sweet peas are a beautiful flowering plant but seeds are toxic. If P. sativum remember that they are a cool season crop, that is planted early and should be finishing up when the pole beans are just getting started. P vulgaris is a warm season (summer) crop. Most English peas with the exception of Tall Telephone and Sugar Snap are short vines that don't climb well.
chickencoupe
Original Author
10 years ago
farmerdill

I am only interested to know if these vining or indeterminate types will grow at this type of angle.
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farmerdill
10 years ago
Beans will work at a 45 degree angle. For peas, the string would need to be close together like 6 inch intervals or so. Even so there are only a few varieties of either English or sweet peas that will reach 5 feet.
chickencoupe
Original Author
10 years ago
farmerdill

I took a look. It is "English peas" that I am referencing. Never gave it much thought. We just call them sweet peas because of can labels? I do have wild sweet pea vines growing here, too. Of course, we don't eat them but enjoy their flowers, immensely. I find it interesting to note that sweet pea vines will flourish in the area with walnut trees (juglone).

Then, I took a look online of the growth pattern of English peas and see what you mean about them being different. I appreciate the note on it. I'll be glad when I have some general growth patterns under my belt. Mostly, I've spent my time on soil biology and natural fertilizers after my first attempts failed. (Well worth it, though.)

The beans and peas will be in separate areas. I'll probably just use a hardy common heirloom variety as I haven't experience to manage anything else. My goal is just to get something to grow in my soil.

I'll think differently about the pea plantings. Not certain why I thought their vine growth was similar to green beans. I'll be certain to place the twin at intervals you suggest even if they're short.

Tx
florauk
10 years ago
Quicker, easier and cheaper is to use pea sticks instead of twine. Just stick twiggy cuttings along the row when you sow your peas and they will scramble up them. Peas have tendrils which take well to a twiggy support rather than a single string. At the end of the season you can pull up the sticks and plants in one fell swoop and dump the whole lot on the compost heap. The picture shows my peas in May.
chickencoupe
Original Author
10 years ago
That's a beautiful garden, florauk! I have plenty of twigs available. This is a great idea and you did it so tastefully.

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Is this a silly idea for beans and peas?

Comments (6)

farmerdill

chickencoupe
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Is this a silly idea for beans and peas?

Comments (6)

farmerdill

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