Support for bush peas?

[Lucius_Junius]

This is yet another in a series of posts I evision making every time I plant something new. I planted bush peas. The package says add a support 1.5 meters high. The peas themselves are only supposed to grow 24 inches. Is this normal for bush peas? I was under the impression they supported themselves.

[gumbo2176]

I've never supported any of the bush type beans I've grown, only pole beans.

[applestar]

1.5 meters? What variety of peas is it? I've grown two varieties in the past couple of years that needed 5'-6' supports: Alderman Tall Telephone Pole and Sugar Snap. But bush type peas are said to lean on eachother if you plant double or triple rows.

This year, I planted Green Arrow that needs 28" support and Sugar Anne that is supposed to be a bush type (24" I think) but I do have a 28" rabbit wire fence on one side and am planning to run a string along the path side so they won't flop into the path....

[Lucius_Junius]

Applestar, they are indeed Sugar Snap. I recently bought some fence poles for another project, so I'm going to use those and some old chicken wire I have to make supports. I think I planted the four rows close enough together to get away with running two supports down the middle if I lean the plants over as they grow. Will these naturally cling to the support, or will I have to tie them as I go?

[applestar]

They'll grow tendrils and hold on to skinny supports (like chicken wire) as well as to each other.