Vegmonkey and the Mrs.

Due to a load of warm weather we’ve been having this week, everything in the garden has shot up which has resulted in a grinning Vegmonkey! I decided as it was bright and dry outside that i would plant out my ‘Feltham First’ peas and Mange Tout ‘Oregan Sugar Pod.’

The peas planted straight into the earth have done nowhere as well as the ones i planted into guttering. This has to do with the shallow guttering keeping the heat in better and the fact they were stored in the cold-frame, ironically named as it is actually warmer than outside.

I bought some beautiful sticks, not sure which tree they are from, i’m thinking maybe hazel.  I placed them in the ground at the base of the 3 pea plants that had grown in-situ and inserted the others equidistant in the space. A set of 10 sticks cost me £2.00.

First row planted                                       Second row planted

I then transplanted the peas from the guttering into holes about 4 inches deep. I’d like to say i used a trowel, but in truth the holes were made using just my hands. It’s nice to be scrabbling around in warm soil again. The longest root on one of the pea plants was 40cm, so i trimmed it off slightly. When growing in guttering, there is a danger that the roots of the different plants get intertwined. I’ve heard of people sliding the contents of the guttering straight into the soil, but that would mean organising the spacing before planting, and i’m nowhere near that organised! So i had to treat them carefully, easing them out and bedding them in with the compost from the guttering.

I then planted two more rows the same way. I wish i could have spread the peas out a bit - twice the distance between rows would be ideal - but i do not have the space. Once all the plants were in (and a few extras added in case the weaker plants get sluggified!) i added a little more compost around them and made sure they were sturdy, then emptied about 4 watering cans around them.

I then tied the canes at the top with garden twine to ensure the sticks didn’t move about in the wind. The plants themselves will grow to about 3ft tops.

I just wish i’d labelled the guttering…i have no way of distinguishing between the seedlings as yet, so they’ve gone in together which could result in an interesting mix of flowers and fruit!