Peas

Zigs

Zigs

Well-known member
Administrator
Location
Kent, England
Hardiness zone
9a
We quite like Mangetout peas, but so do the Pigeons and Partridges :cautious:

Trying a dwarf variety this year to make cropping easier under cover. These ones only grow 2 foot high so I've raised the small hoops in the Eastern veg plot to about 3 feet to give a bit of space.

Started them off in gutters to keep them away from the mice.

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These were soaked overnight first, we would have soaked them in Paraffin first but it's over £10 a gallon now :eek: I only left them on the top to see how they were spaced, pushed them into the leafmold once I'd taken the picture. When they've formed roots the whole lot will slide out into a shallow trench in the bed.
 
Gutters...that is an interesting way to start plants, get the right spacing, and easily transplant without a big impact. Short pieces would be very easy to work with inside.

I prefer direct seeding, but repurposing old gutters for starting some plants has some merit in my mind.
 
Zigs said:
We quite like Mangetout peas, but so do the Pigeons and Partridges :cautious:

Trying a dwarf variety this year to make cropping easier under cover. These ones only grow 2 foot high so I've raised the small hoops in the Eastern veg plot to about 3 feet to give a bit of space.

Started them off in gutters to keep them away from the mice.

View attachment 257

These were soaked overnight first, we would have soaked them in Paraffin first but it's over £10 a gallon now :eek: I only left them on the top to see how they were spaced, pushed them into the leafmold once I'd taken the picture. When they've formed roots the whole lot will slide out into a shallow trench in the bed.
Click to expand...
you slide the entire thing into a trench? I have never seen that. you have done this before?
 
Meadowlark said:
Gutters...that is an interesting way to start plants, get the right spacing, and easily transplant without a big impact. Short pieces would be very easy to work with inside.

I prefer direct seeding, but repurposing old gutters for starting some plants has some merit in my mind.
Click to expand...

I used to direct sow peas too, till I came out one morning and found little holes dug where each pea had been the night before. There must have been a very fat mouse somewhere :rolleyes:

I used to suspend the gutters on string from the greenhouse rafters but it got a bit hot for the peas up there, even with the doors open.

skinyea said:
you slide the entire thing into a trench? I have never seen that. you have done this before?
Click to expand...

Yep, I do it most years, it's quite easy once it gets going as the roots form a mass :)
 
I started gardening with my grandad when I was 5 - a very very long time ago. He and his friends all soaked their peas in paraffin so that the mice wouldn't eat them. It worked!
It was grandad's fault that I became so keen on growing stuff....... those were the days 🫠
 
Did mine in six space poly trays and piled them up on a high shelf with a slate across the top to foil mice, in the morning they were on the floor. Recovered them okay, germinated, planted out, now about nine inches tall and covered in peas ??? I am wondering if they will continue growing.
 
I once tried carrots in a gutter like that, of course you can't let carrot roots grow much and they wouldn't slide out decently. Thinking about it though one of the instructions was to bury a small flower pot in the centre to fill with water regularly, get a drip at the end and it is done.
 
olly-buckle said:
I once tried carrots in a gutter like that, of course you can't let carrot roots grow much and they wouldn't slide out decently. Thinking about it though one of the instructions was to bury a small flower pot in the centre to fill with water regularly, get a drip at the end and it is done.
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Good idea Olly :)

They're all up now :)

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They were growing too quick indoors, too hot in the tunnels for them so I moved them out to the netted tunnel. That should keep the worst of the wind off them and harden them off a bit before planting out. Ideally the roots should form a mass before sliding out of the gutters.

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I've got them on a large bucket that's on top of 3 bricks to give them a chance to get away before the slugs get them. Slugs have had the tops off of most of the beans so far, been too wet this year.
 
olly-buckle said:
I once tried carrots in a gutter like that, of course you can't let carrot roots grow much and they wouldn't slide out decently. Thinking about it though one of the instructions was to bury a small flower pot in the centre to fill with water regularly, get a drip at the end and it is done.
Click to expand...
Like an olla?
 
Ostrodamus said:
How does this hold up? Are those pool-noodles? I'm in awe of your ingenuity. I spent $1000 on tools, rebar and PVC that I had to manually cut, and I fear the PVC will not last due to weather conditions here in the desert.
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It's just some left over Alkathene pipe, used for mains water, with some Hazel sticks pushed into it. I just renewed a few of the sticks as it's now covering the winter cabbage. Didn't cost anything as it was lying about in the corner :)

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