Pea Sticks, tall enough?

[OllieMartin]

My peas are growing well, but neither the book I have nor the seed packet suggest how tall they will/should grow.

The sticks are about 40cm tall above ground, will this be tall enough or should I replace them with canes?

[Lottieknees]

Your peas look really nice and healthy. the birds have been having a right old go at mine!

My pea sticks are about 3' tall

[OllieMartin]

I don't get too many birds in my garden, the only benefit I've found of having a large number of neighbourhood cats (hence all the hessian)

[Flummery]

It really depends on the variety. Most modern peas seem to grow about 3ft tall but the old fashioned varieties top my 6ft wigwams.

[OllieMartin]

That would suggest that 40cm sticks are waaaay too small?

[Seahorse]

I think they'll probably top 40cm, regardless of type. Mine are already somewhat taller than I am Do you have a variety name? That might help someone give you a better idea of how high to expect them to get.

[glenisita]

Your very orderly set-up puts my peas to shame. I'm growing sugar snaps, which are supposed to be quite compact and need minimal support, but they started outgrowing my pea sticks and, before I could replace them with taller canes, we had gale force winds while I was away for a few days, so now they're all in a big jumbled heap! Don't even know where to start with getting them back on track. In short, my advice is to use taller pea sticks while you have the chance!

[salilah]

My compact sugar snaps (SS Anne) are probably 4-5ft right now - harvesting well!

[OllieMartin]

According to the packet they are Kelvedon Wonder.

I have replaced the sticks with some, much larger, bamboo canes (and kept them orderly glenisita!), unfortunately removing them from the pea sticks has caused some of them to flop away from the canes. Will probably need tying to them until they grip on again or they risk infesting my potato hallums.

Will post pictures in the morning.

[teakdesk]

From the Thompson and Morgan web-site...


Sowing Instructions

Kelvedon Wonder is an early variety, height 45cm (18in).



.

[King Carrot]

I think the height must depend on the soil - I had kelveldon wonder at 5 - 6 ft in the greenhouse earlier this year and they're approaching the usual 4ft outside at the moment. So called dwarf peas always seem to grow nearly twice as high for me and all I can put it down to is the soil?

[Hazel at the Hill]

This gets me cross - so T&M say the height of KW is 18", and I've heard that they would grow to 2' or so.

Last year I grew them iwth 3' netting and they went bloody crackers, flopped everywhere, were difficult to pick and were generally a bit of a pain. If it was the first time I'd grow peas I would certainly be put off trying them again - or believing anything that the seed packet told me!

[Florence Fennel]

Mine are Kelvedon Wonder and they would have topped 8', but it's history now that I didn't stop them at the top of my 6' wigwams, I let them grow on down and the high winds last week in Yorkshire left the wigwams leaning over! I've repaired as best I can and I'm harvesting them, so all is not lost, but it's a good lesson for me. I am really suprised that some have estimated 18"!

[Two_Sheds]

I can't get a pea to grow over 2 ft tall ... it's so windy over here on the North Sea coast.

[OllieMartin]

Well they are now replaced, hope these are tall enough. 18" seemed pretty small and since I've not given them a lot of space from the potatoes I think they'll probably climb higher to get some light.

Thanks for all the suggestions