Still cold, still more snow on the way. My sweet peas don’t know that…they’re very happily growing in pots under my grow light, oblivious to the fact that they’re really supposed to be outside by this time, under a cold frame. I’ve chopped them back, and like good natured Methuselahs at least two growths are now popping up where before there was only one. They’re the “Knee High” variety, about 30 inches tall at maturity. Some are already putting out tendrils that are reaching out for something to grasp, so last night I decided to build trellis’ before they decided to reach out for each other and become hopelessly tangled.
The planters are about 30 inches long, so I bought some plastic netting, cut it into a 30″ square, and threaded bamboo sticks on all four sides. I left about 6 inches of bamboo below the bottom of the netting on one side so that I could push the whole thing into the dirt. The netting, which had been rolled, took on a concave shape, so I threaded some smaller pieces of bamboo through the middle to straighten the trellis and add support. Perfect!! The Sweet Peas have already noticed. Once they catch the trellis there will be no stopping them.
POLLENATRIX 