Using Pea Sticks to Support Peas
There are countless ways to trellis peas, but one of the best and least expensive techniques is to use tree and shrub trimmings as a support. These “pea sticks”, as they are called in England, work particularly well because peas love to twine their tendrils around twiggy growth.
My friend Mari cut her yellow twig dogwood down to the ground earlier this spring to encourage it to send up new shoots and kindly gave me the lovely chartreuse stems to use as pea sticks. They barely fit in the back of my car!
Pea sticks can simply be pushed into the ground behind a row of peas or gathered together into an informal obelisk. I chose the obelisk route since I’m growing my peas in large, galvanized containers.
Freshly cut dogwood stems root readily in damp soil. To prevent this, I allowed the ends to dry out for nearly three weeks before I used them. To build the obelisks, I stuck five or six stems into the soil, cinched the tops down with twine, and sowed peas around the base. The peas are now nearly 3 inches tall and will soon be scrambling up the sticks. I’m planning on growing cucumbers up the obelisks when the peas stop producing in late-May.
So pretty, especially in the grey days of the Pacific Northwest. That color with the dark soil just makes my heart sing.
I used red twig dogwood a few years ago for this purpose, and the bonus? They rooted! Some I pulled out, others I replanted, but be forewarned, those shoots may root.
April 26th, 2010 at 10:52 amI’ve seen’m in person & they’re lovely! When I was at Monticello last year, I learned that they traditionally use peach tree seasonal pruning twigs as pea stakes, and they’re beautiful!
April 26th, 2010 at 10:53 am.-= gardenmentor´s last blog ..Pitching in with Fiskars Project Orange Thumb in Portland =-.
So timely! Just noticed my peas need a little help! Thanks so much!
April 26th, 2010 at 11:34 amGreat minds think alike! I too “allowed the stems to dry out” first! In fact I just spent yesterday wrestling them into an odd globe shape that sits atop a fat green pot. I’m going to grow an annual flowering vine up through it – get it? Plant the world!!!
April 26th, 2010 at 12:24 pmBeautiful!
April 26th, 2010 at 5:02 pm.-= meg´s last blog ..Borage + Echinacea + Hops= Sustainable Eats! =-.
Just this morning I was going to email you and ask, which tree trimmings work best? I wanted to find some for our school garden for our pea planting project Thursday.
April 26th, 2010 at 5:20 pmLelo–Red Twig dogwood is so pretty. Thanks for the warning. I hope mine don’t root!
GardenMentor–I’m so jealous that you’ve been to Monticello. I am dying to go there. In summer so I can see the veg garden.
Lorene–That must have been an epic wrestling match. I about poked out my eye trying to get the twigs out of the car. I want to come visit and see all your projects.
Meg–Thanks!! And btw, how cool that you met Sustainable Eats and that she came with 3 of my favorite plants.
Blair–Good timing! You can use any trimming. Willow and Dogwood might not be the best choice since you’ll be planting on Thursday and they might root. Have fun planting with the kids!!
April 26th, 2010 at 5:50 pmGorgeous! If only I could bear to cut back my dogwood bushes more. Instead, I just use sticks for my peas to climb on until they can reach the remesh along the fence.
April 27th, 2010 at 11:41 am.-= Anne´s last blog ..A Fresh Desktop Background =-.
Yep, it was pretty cool of her to bring awesome plants and come all the way down to my place! I had gone to her open house the week prior and checked out her amazing set up, so it was fun to reciprocate and show what we have done.
April 27th, 2010 at 11:07 pmWe are going to be part of the west seattle edible garden tour this summer…so I am trying to get a lot done and cleaned up!
The hops were really great because I hadn’t gotten around to ordering them yet. Now..to build some kind of a climbing ‘thing.’ I have an idea though!
.-= meg´s last blog ..Homestead Act 2.0 =-.
I’ve been using old bamboo cuttings we have lying around to make pretty trellis’. I also used the bamboo to hold up deer netting until things get established…not so pretty…even tho I don’t mind the look.
April 28th, 2010 at 9:52 am