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How to protect autumn-sowing broad beans and peas?

Hi everyone,

I have finally cleared most of my new allotment from the weeds and have even dug a couple of beds!!image  Without breaking my back! image

However, I have now realised that the real stuff is going to kick in and I need to learn - quick - how I'm actually going to start growing stuff.

I have prepared some space for my new broad beans and peas that I will be planting in the next few days. I understand that mice and birds are a potential problem in the early days and need to protect my little seedlings.

I have invested in some 25mm chicken wire, but don't really know how best to create my wire tunnels. Hoops attached to the wire? Attaching wood to the wire?

Any suggestions gratefully received!

Thanks! Del.

PS - I have met one of my fellow allotmenteers finally - and was given a HUGE marrow as a welcome gift. Love it!!!!  Marrow chutney to follow!

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  • Hi Del image



    If the gauge of your wire is bigger than a pencil, mice can still fit through, bean and pea maggot can be an issue. Its usual to erect a structure of canes, just something simple, then put your mesh over- cable ties are useful here! image

    I find pop bottles/water bottles etc the best thing to keep creatures off, they stay in place best if you secure with a cane down the middle and put earth around the base.



    If this is your first year, you may get lucky without any protection as the mice etc wont be use to coming to your plot image
  • chickychicky Posts: 10,409

    The meeces found our new beds very quicklyimage.  We now sow in pots in the GH and plant out when they are a bit bigger

  • Alan4711Alan4711 Posts: 1,657

    Del the old trick of dipping the peas etc for a second  in paraffin will stop any nuisances  touching them sometimes you might find the odd pea on top of the soil where they have bought it up to eat and then left it just push it back down we pushed about 5 back then they were left alone,  we always had great greenhurst shaft if i remember the pea name. our next door allotmenteers lost there crop so they also started dipping ,it worked ! good luckimage

  • Never had issues with mice, thank goodness! The bean and pea maggot decimated everything this year! Angry face
  • Brilliant - thanks all for the tips! 

    Will be tackling the sowing this afternoon. Armed with paraffin! image

    Del.

  • so peas can be sown now ,when will they be ready for havesting ?

    atb DD

  • Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

    Never sown peas for overwintering.  Broad beans sown now will overwinter as tough little plants 6" or so high, get a flying start in the spring and produce a crop in late spring/early summer.  I got the first in mid-April this year, although it was a very mild spring.

  • Hi,

    It's my first time growing peas and beans - or anything on the allotment, so I can't tell you whether it's a good idea to sow peas now or not. But, they have come in an apparently "Autumn sowing" pack.

    The peas are Meteor dwarf variety. Hopefully ready by June.

    Will let you know how they get on!

  • Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

    I'd've thought that early peas like Meteor sown in Feb/Mar might be ready by June!

    Just lookng back to last year, I see that my successful early sowing of Aquadulce wasn't till 10th October.  But they kept growing through the very mild winter.  Yer pays yer money and yer takes yer choice....

  • I sow Aquadulce Broad Beans most autumns, but I've not grown autumn-sown peas for years; however today you've made me order some seeds  http://www.realseeds.co.uk/peas.html 

    I've ordered the Hatif d'Annonay  - we've not had mouse problems in this garden so far - fingers will be crossed! image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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