Peas are excellent vegetables rich in fiber and vitamin C, which are also quite energetic. We therefore reserve a good place for them in the garden to delight young and old alike. Easy to grow, they must nevertheless be staked, and dwarf peas are no exception to the rule because this has serious advantages. It remains to know when to stake garden peas and with what type of stakes.
Staking peas: what is it for?
Whatever the variety of garden peas cultivated, dwarf or ram (i.e. climbing), it is from the seedlings or, at the latest, when the young plants reach a height of 14 or 15 cm (i.e. about twenty days after sowing), which must be ridden and, in the process, staked. The benefits of staking peas are the following :
- You save space since the stakes reduce clutter, which makes it possible to grow peas even in a very small vegetable garden.
- The stems are protected against breakage due to the weight which can be substantial after a few weeks.
- Peas are much less exposed to gusts of wind which can do great damage to the vegetable garden.
- The pods remain very clean and suffer less from excess humidity. Not being in direct contact with the wet earth, they are much less likely to be affected by cryptogamic (or fungal) diseases.
- Staking avoids having to bend down to harvest the peas, which makes the task much more comfortable.
Note also that the staked peas bring a decorative touch to the garden and remind many of us of the vegetable garden of our childhood, full of charm and unforgettable scents…
Staking dwarf or rowing garden peas: how to do it?
You don’t need to be an experienced gardener to properly stake garden peas. Two methods are applicable. Either we put tutors high enough, anyway whose size is related to that of the pea variety that we want to cultivate, either we use wire netting or others. It is ensured that the structure allowing the peas to climb at leisure is fixed to supports.
There are no rules in this area. We use what we have on hand or we buy the stakes in the garden center. From the teepee to the trellis through the chicken wire, the solutions are numerous. The only limit is that of the imagination. And in this area, some gardeners are amazing as they are overflowing with ideas. For them, the System D is a rule of life. Why not inspire it?
A few ideas for pea stakes
Everyone can find here some easily accessible solutions for staking garden peas. But in any case, it is advisable to use posts strong enough so that the frame resists the wind of course as well as the weight… of the peas! If the stakes relax or bend too much, you risk losing part of your harvest. We therefore think carefully about its structure upstream.
The branches
Whether branches of ashof hazelof Oakof chestnutof the sun or even of bamboo for example, when they are straight they are ideal for staking peas. Of course we choose them long enough and not too thin because they must be sufficiently rigid.
The chicken wire
Easy to set up, the chicken wire is a good solution for staking peas. The stitches being quite tight, this forces the netting to be positioned between two rows and not on each side because it is impossible to pass your hands through the stitches. The reams of peas are thus on either side of the fence, which facilitates harvesting.
The welded mesh
It is quite simply the trellis that masons use, and if it appeals to gardeners, it is that it is easy to install but also economical. We get as many masonry lattice than necessary. It is then enough to juxtapose them to each other in order to stake all the rows of peas.
Of the steel wires intertwined constitute this rigid armor that you can buy in panel or in roll in a DIY store. Admittedly, the meshes of the trellis are quite wide, but this solution is still practical.
Twine or cord
Finally, it’s not bad either and this solution has the merit of don’t be expensive. The installation is simple since it is enough to attach the string very solidly to a post and to fix the other end to the ground. To do this, we use the famous sardines well known to campers.
The rowing net
In string or in jute, it is commonly used by gardeners who want to stake their peas or trellis climbing plants. Lightweight, easy to install, it is marketed in garden centres. There is also a plastic variant, but the threads are so thin that untangling them is difficult, causing a considerable and unnecessary loss of time which is really disheartening.
The sheep fence
Sold in roll, sheep wire has excellent strength, making it a good support for peas. It requires by logic the installation of pegs well anchored in the ground and must be cut to the desired length. All that remains is to sow on each side of the fence, which is much more economical than sowing in the middle of two rows of staking (another solution possible despite everything). You just have to tie the reams of peas as they grow with ties capable of withstand strong winds.
The tomato cage
This gardening accessory represents a excellent support for tomatoes but also for garden peas. Galvanized steel or bamboo, everyone has their own preference… Commercial or to make yourself, the cage for staking climbing vegetables is very practical and can be set up in a jiffy.
The pergola
Finally, sowing your peas at the foot of the pergola rather than sweet peas is another good idea for staking your vegetables using a structure already in place. The pergola fulfills this role perfectly, as does the arbor and even the grid placed on the wall and serving as an enclosure for the property.
All these solutions are among the most commonly used in vegetable gardens. resistantinstalled at regular intervals et well sunk In the ground. Each gardener therefore chooses according to the budget he has and the time he wishes to devote to gardening.
But let’s know that our elders knew how to do it without great means and it is quite possible – even recommended – to follow their marvelous common-sense advice: a few sticks gleaned here and there do the job very well provided they are straight, sufficiently strong and high (from 1.90 to 3 m to support pole peas and 0.80 m minimum for dwarf peas). You can also count on the corn plants constituent of very good stakes for row peas : two plants that can be sown together for a successful association.
This is how, in the past, we staked the peas in the garden, solidly, without plastic, only with equipment that we had on hand, and if that was not the case, we would go pick it up in the fields or woods. Decidedly, the good old gardening methods really deserve to be perpetuated because they are full of common sense.