Trellis for my tall peas

Let's see those Photos and videos!!
User avatar
bower
Reactions:
Posts: 5475
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:44 pm
Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Trellis for my tall peas

#1

Post: # 49501Unread post bower
Sun Jun 27, 2021 8:46 pm

This is the summer of making something with... whatever you have on hand. Pulled nails, spruce rails, scrap lumber and twigs! It was a bit of a struggle but finally these pea beds are made and their tall trellises are up. I had to take a picture because I just don't know when the wind starts to blow... We are one of the windiest inhabited places on earth here. I could do with some more braces, however we shall see, if a hurricane is coming I might find or, I guess! make something to work. No shortage of spruce but those light rails are very knotty and tricky to nail. The logs in the beds do make them very heavy, so at least the whole bed won't blow down. ;)
Yes those are peas in there but just installed the trellis so they may take a few days to find their way up through the branches.
If all goes well I'll post an after pic of them in all their tall glory!
trellis-810-484.JPG
trellisbackview-logs-540.JPG
trellis2-530.JPG
trellis2-backlogs-543.JPG
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

User avatar
Whwoz
Reactions:
Posts: 2463
Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2019 12:08 am
Location: Trafalgar, Victoria, Australia

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#2

Post: # 49503Unread post Whwoz
Sun Jun 27, 2021 9:04 pm

Work of art[mention]Bower[/mention] that the peas shall enjoy climbing no doubt, just how will it go with the moose though I wonder.......

User avatar
JRinPA
Reactions:
Posts: 1542
Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2020 1:35 pm
Location: PA Dutch Country

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#3

Post: # 49509Unread post JRinPA
Sun Jun 27, 2021 9:38 pm

I like it, very nice.
It was a terrible year for peas here. April was so dry they barely made 1 foot before they started flowering in late May. I should have had water set up earlier. There are peas, but only about 1/3 of what I think there should be. I like to see them at a good 3-4 ft tall before first flowers in mid May instead of 1 ft in late May. I hope your pea season is better up there.

What kind of peas are they?

User avatar
bower
Reactions:
Posts: 5475
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:44 pm
Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#4

Post: # 49511Unread post bower
Sun Jun 27, 2021 10:07 pm

[mention]Whwoz[/mention] I think it's crazy for me to be growing tall peas around the moose. They definitely like them, and being tall, it's right where they like to get a chew. You'd swear I was doing it for them. :roll: But I'm telling myself, all those peas they nibbled on before were dangling off the top of a trellis that was too short. :twisted: The trellis that's actually tall enough, might be less appealing. :?
[mention]JRinPA[/mention] I'm growing peas to dry for the winter in these two beds. Biskopens aka Swedish Red, which I found to be delicious, and Bullroyd Bean, also very nice as a dry pea and very productive and large. They are on the late side here, I was harvesting in October last season. I have some other tall peas which I'm trialing and growing up seed, which are a mix of snows, drys and snaps that mostly all have potential as a dry pea as well. Corne de Belier, Brazilian, King Tut, Calvert, a Magnolia cross, Irish Prean, Clarke's Beltony Blue, and Sugar Magnolia. And I have some bush type peas again for the winter soup, a Capucijners, Margaret McKee's Baking Pea, and Gold Harvest. Still have peas I want to plant, but it's getting a bit late for it I guess. If they're early, why not, September peas?
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

User avatar
GoDawgs
Reactions:
Posts: 3742
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 6:38 am
Location: Zone 8a, Augusta GA

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#5

Post: # 49555Unread post GoDawgs
Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:55 pm

Wonderful trellis, Bower! Very rustic and artistic. That's a great example of one of my favorite garden phrases, "You make it up as you go along." :roll:

It's hard for me, sitting here in the heat of Georgia, to imagine growing peas this time of year let along until October. And I've never heard of any of those varieties either. That's why it's so interesting reading posts here from so many different locations all over the world. :D

bjbebs
Reactions:
Posts: 164
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2019 8:24 am
Location: Illinois

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#6

Post: # 49556Unread post bjbebs
Mon Jun 28, 2021 5:21 pm

Loving your makeshift build. Tucked in the timber gives you all the product you need.
Curious about sun angles. From the beds looking towards the house, is it east? And if so, does it open to the south?

User avatar
bower
Reactions:
Posts: 5475
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:44 pm
Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#7

Post: # 49565Unread post bower
Mon Jun 28, 2021 8:18 pm

[mention]bjbebs[/mention] Yes, this garden is west of the house, so the trellis at the back is facing east, and is roughly in the NNW corner of the garden. Rhubarb flower in the pic looks to be about magnetic north. It gets about ten hours of sun, but starts to be shaded by 4 in the afternoon. The other trellis is on the south side facing north. We made a small cut there this spring which had to be done to let some light in for the garlic bed on that side. So this one will get more hours of sun but on the opposite angle.
We had to cut some big logs that were closing in on the south side of the house two years ago, so this is where the major sun is coming from. What a difference it makes. I wish I had a sawmill for those big logs because I would love to mill them into planks, but meanwhile will do my best to make something out of it and put to good use. The old shed is falling down but the spruce rails we used are the best part of it. Really durable lumber. Our other common tree the balsam fir is the opposite, nature's soil builder for the north which breaks down quick.
BTW, I was meaning to thank you for the tip about using horse manure in the tomato containers. I tried it and it's working great, has really improved moisture retention and the tomatoes are big and happy. :)
trellis-NNW-476.JPG
trellises-508.JPG
trellisandothers505.JPG
south-sun-514.JPG
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

bjbebs
Reactions:
Posts: 164
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2019 8:24 am
Location: Illinois

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#8

Post: # 49587Unread post bjbebs
Tue Jun 29, 2021 7:43 am

Your mini- meadow is sure pretty. I can see why moose would come in to feed. Hopefully the peas get a good start.

User avatar
Tormato
Reactions:
Posts: 3701
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:14 pm

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#9

Post: # 49596Unread post Tormato
Tue Jun 29, 2021 10:26 am

If I was a moose, I like my neighbor who built me both a buffet and a scratching post, all-in-one.

User avatar
JRinPA
Reactions:
Posts: 1542
Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2020 1:35 pm
Location: PA Dutch Country

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#10

Post: # 49741Unread post JRinPA
Thu Jul 01, 2021 9:44 pm

I had to re-read the above. I thought it said "moosture retention". To which I agreed.

User avatar
bower
Reactions:
Posts: 5475
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:44 pm
Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#11

Post: # 54984Unread post bower
Sat Oct 02, 2021 7:36 pm

Ah well, as you guys immediately guessed, this story was fated to be as much about moose as it is about peas. I didn't have time to post as it happened, but I did take pics as time went by and so the tale comes out, as I finally sit down to sort them out. We don't always see the moose we know are there, and we don't always get pics of the moose, but now and then, the guilty parties do show up.
The peas started up the trellis, and seeming to like it pretty well.
trellisA-growingup-461.png
But then they were bitten back by some sneaky animal. Luckily though, they were not pulled out by the roots, and so they sprout again!
trellisA-bittenbackjuly-068.jpg
pea-regeneration-378.JPG
It seemed there may be hope for them yet, but they needed some protection.
I decided that the big fir branches would be the best, since they aren't as rough as the spruce, when added on top of tender plants.
trellisA-backcover-064.jpg
trellisA-evolving-774.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

User avatar
bower
Reactions:
Posts: 5475
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:44 pm
Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#12

Post: # 54985Unread post bower
Sat Oct 02, 2021 7:47 pm

The second trellis, luckily (or mysteriously) was spared.
So of course it too got some extra protection.
trellisB-growingup-july-730.jpg
trellisB-evolving-076.jpg
Whoops! We had a windy day and this one blew right over, soil block and all. :oops:
trellisW-down712.JPG
Lucky for me, a friend came by the next day and we propped it right up and braced it on front and back.
The cage of branches seemed to protect the plants really well, they were hardly damaged at all.
trellis-braced756.JPG
trellis-view831.JPG
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

User avatar
bower
Reactions:
Posts: 5475
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:44 pm
Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#13

Post: # 54987Unread post bower
Sat Oct 02, 2021 8:11 pm

There were signs of a nibbler, lurking around the garden, sampling various things. A single oat (!) snipped out. A big bite of barley in the boot. More barley nibbles. Valerian flowers.... Blossoms missing from that one spike of aconite!!???!! I was wary but.. what can you do? If a moose wants to sample things, well I'm okay with that, mostly. Sampling and mowing, not the same issue for sure. Or is it?
By early August, the peas were growing out through the branches and loaded with flowers.
Even the moosed trellis was flowering, although not as tall.
trellisB-flowers-throughbranches-108.JPG
trellisA-regen-flowers-back-125.JPG
And then one morning, I looked out and saw the beast. A beautiful beast. Having a feast.
moosingpeas-242.JPG
mooseDelta-portrait249.JPG
moose-Delta-1yr-256.JPG
I looked through the baby pictures last year, and identified this lovely young lady as Venus's daughter Delta - of twins dubbed Delta and Gamma after the hurricanes active at the time. Who knew Delta would turn out to be such a bad name in 2021! Del has the prominent white triangles on the front of her ears, which is a family trait from her mother. She is a beaut!
I had three encounters with this moose in the one day. First I took her picture and chased her off. Then I went out to fortify the peas with more branches and found her at the 'old trellis' where we had a little heart to heart chat. Peas are my food. You eat shrubs. That sort of thing. She really seemed to understand what I was saying and I left thinking we had a deal.
Ah but when I looked out she was on my third trellis, and had to chase her off that and the one at the back as well.
When I saw the aconite gone, I realized! I was talking to a moose on drugs! :? It was crazy enough with a sober moose. :roll:
This is what she ate before going on a rampage with the peas.

moosed-monkshood-307.JPG
trellisA-moosedagain-378.JPG
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

User avatar
bower
Reactions:
Posts: 5475
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:44 pm
Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#14

Post: # 54988Unread post bower
Sat Oct 02, 2021 8:20 pm

Here are a few pics of that third trellis - smaller than the other two. So inconspicuous a moose might even miss it.
trellis3--747.JPG
trellis3-jauntysailor742.JPG
trellis3-peas290.JPG
trellis-view118.JPG
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

User avatar
bower
Reactions:
Posts: 5475
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:44 pm
Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#15

Post: # 54989Unread post bower
Sat Oct 02, 2021 8:48 pm

After that, a couple of weeks went by without any damages to peas. I did the rounds every day and watered and added branches here and there. They grew out through them again. I added a layer of netting. Nothing here for a moose. Ha! More branches then.
trellisB-morebranches-365.JPG
trellisB-netlayer-047.JPG
trellisB-netsplusbranches354.JPG
trellisA-peasthroughbranches-858.JPG
trellisA-netlayer-056.JPG
trellisA-regen-flowers-back305.JPG
But Del came again alright. I caught her chowing on trellis #3, and chased her away from the other. Then I added MORE branches.
trellis3-moosednet-327.JPG
trellisA-stillmorebranches356.JPG
trellisA-stillmore-back-359.JPG
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

User avatar
bower
Reactions:
Posts: 5475
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:44 pm
Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#16

Post: # 54991Unread post bower
Sat Oct 02, 2021 9:12 pm

By now we're in early September.... Time for Hurricane Larry!
I picked all the mature pods I could find from the unmoosed trellis especially, before Larry was due to hit, which had mainly finished flowering anyway. But the most moosed trellis peas were a bit late for that. So it goes.
This one is down and out.
trellisB-afterlarry-445.JPG
Everything flattened except that one heavy trellis, hanging on!
trellisA-afterLarry-438.JPG
trellis-postlarry-437.JPG
Surprisingly though, I was able to shore these two up again. So they were standing tall a week later, when Rosebud arrived at dusk in the rain with new twins: Larry and Odette.
trellisA-RosebudLarryandOdette-670.JPG
Rosebud-calfs-peas-684.JPG
trellis3-RosebudslittleLarry-619.JPG
Rosebud-and-twins-634.JPG
Rosebud-2021-615.JPG
Rosebud-2021-639.JPG
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

User avatar
JRinPA
Reactions:
Posts: 1542
Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2020 1:35 pm
Location: PA Dutch Country

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#17

Post: # 55019Unread post JRinPA
Sun Oct 03, 2021 8:54 am

That is too much. Really great stuff. I love how you keep fortifying with more sticks...and more sticks...and netting.

User avatar
bower
Reactions:
Posts: 5475
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:44 pm
Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#18

Post: # 55037Unread post bower
Sun Oct 03, 2021 12:53 pm

A shocking amount of labor for the few peas I got. It was an experiment... I knew what I was in for. Good thing I had lots of sticks though! :)
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

User avatar
bower
Reactions:
Posts: 5475
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:44 pm
Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#19

Post: # 55042Unread post bower
Sun Oct 03, 2021 1:28 pm

Here is a pic of what was left after Rosebud and the twins. Flowers and tops are gone, but there are still some peas inside all those branches! :P
trellisA-after-Rosebud737.JPG
Also @JRinPA I noticed for the past couple of weeks that I have a lot of these large, bee sized, brown shiny things, which I finally got a pic of today just to make sure/find out what they are. I had a load of wasp stings recently and it hasn't encouraged me to go out when they're enjoying the sunshine, and I wondered if these newly abundant things were friends or foe. Took a look around internet, pretty sure they are tabanids aka horse fly, locally called a "stoat". :evil: Not sure if they came with the moose, or if they came in anticipation, waiting for more moose.
I'm just a smaller, thinner skinned moose to these things, is what I think.
tabanid-stoat-796.JPG
tabanid-stoat-798.JPG
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

User avatar
GoDawgs
Reactions:
Posts: 3742
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 6:38 am
Location: Zone 8a, Augusta GA

Re: Trellis for my tall peas

#20

Post: # 55043Unread post GoDawgs
Sun Oct 03, 2021 1:34 pm

Larry and Odette! :lol: Moose storming through your peas! Quite appropriate.

This has been a great tale and losing your stuff to huge munchers isn't funny but in a way it is. Man vs moose. From simple trellis to trellis fortress... loved seeing the progression! I could just see you having a heart to heart with Delta as I've had such talks with the cats who, at the end of the lecture, just give you that look of indifference. "Meh..."

BTW, what are those tall flower stalks with the yellow blooms stacked going up the stems? Very pretty.

Post Reply

Return to “The Gallery”