quote:

Originally posted by MaggieZ:
Two things here - don't know what is causing the whithered stem, could be a problem with soil nutrients or fungus (peas are prone to fungal infections). But I direct sow all of my peas as they are cold tolerant and short season. And they will flop around until they get tall enough to attach to something. I usually will either use a short trellis with first rungs about 5 inches off the ground, or a string trellis built on the fence, to give them low support, and will twine the plants around the string or trellis until they start to grow runners, very gently. This keeps them from being in contact with soil born fungi.

They don't like to be too lonely, inspirt of package directions, so I do plant them intensively.

Maggie

I love English peas!!

quote:

Originally posted by James_1:
Yes, just plant peas outside where they will grow. If you want lots of peas, plant five fifteen foot rows ten inches apart. When they are two inches tall, run your hoe between the rows to get the weeds. Just let them grow, no need to stake them. Good varieties are Wando, Little Marvel, Laxton's Progress, Lincoln and Victory Freezer.

quote:

Originally posted by ctdahle:
One of our little local railroads is nicknamed the Peavine because of the crop it used to serve.

A pea brush or pea stick is a branch trimmed from a brushy shrub with lots of branching twigs.

About the time my peas need to be trellised, I will thin out the privet hedge bordering my driveway. I will poke the thinnings in the dirt between the pea plants then lead them to the pea stick. The pea vines will happily climb the sticks in lieu of strings or netting or other trellises.

In the fall, I'll rip up the vines, pea sticks and all and toss them out on the lawn. I'll use the mower to chop them and collect them for the compost pile, where they will rot for the next three years.

Allen as to your problem, if at the place where the baby vines exit the dirt, the stalk looks like a thin little thread, then your seedlings have damped off. It's caused by a fungus, but exacerbated by over watering and inadequate air moving past your seedlings. This is why many greenhouses have oscillating fans going all the time.

A bit of air movement strengthens the seedlings at the soil level.

Peas usually are started outside in their final location. Here the traditional starting day is Easter, although Easter came so early this year that planting that soon would not have gone over too well.

I'll plant 8 feet of Alaska and of Little Marvel tomorrow, and will repeat sowings of 8 foot rows weekly until July or so. The last plantings will germinate in the cool shade of carrots that will be harvested and out of the way by the time the peas are climbing trellises under the hoops. They will mature under cover, and will provide the last 5 or 10 pounds that we will hopefully freeze in late September.