Peas Please: Nearly Free Trellis for Climbing Peas

I love peas.  Last year, I didn't plant nearly enough.  This year, I think I went a bit overboard.

Just a bit.

Now the peas have sprouted and they're going to need something to attach to when they start to grow. 

And what's better than cheap, cheap, cheap?  Nearly free!

It started with a special find--a discarded painting on canvas that was attached to a wooden frame.  (It was so ugly, I didn't even bother to take a pic of it.)  I ripped off the painting (that was on canvas) and was left with the frame, which was in good condition.

I had a roll of chicken wire that I'd stashed in my gardening shed and two pieces of wood (about a foot long) that I decided would make good stakes to hold the pea trellis in the ground.

First, I attached the wooden stakes to the frame using screws.  Okay, my wonderful teen son attached the stakes to the frame using screws.  (Take advantage of free labor as much as you can!)

Once you've attached the stakes, you could paint or stain the frame.  Make sure you use a paint or stain that will withstand the weather.  We elected not to paint or stain it because quite frankly, I wanted to get it into the ground and there were April rain clouds moving through.  Plus, I wasn't sure how comfortable I was with paint that close to pea plants.

Next, he unrolled the length of chicken wire to fit the length of the frame, then stapled the chicken wire to the frame.

It just so happened that the chicken wire was the perfect width for the frame.  No, we didn't plan it that way--it just happened!

Once the chicken wire is stapled all around, was time to put it into the ground! We put it close to the peas, but not on top of them. (We didn't want to damage the seedlings.) We pushed the stakes into the soil until the frame was about half an inch from the ground.  I didn't want the frame resting on the soil, as it would hasten the decay of the wood.

Now, it's ready for the peas!

Starting seeds: The Good, the Bad and the Dirty

How's your Spring Fever?  Yeah, mine, too. 

Depending on where you live, it's time to start seeds!  You have all your supplies, right? (If not, check out the post Spring Fever:  Preparing to Start Seeds.) Okay, let's begin!

I'm going to give the instructions to start seeds in the pellets because that's what I prefer to use.  It's less messy than dealing with starter mix, it's faster and I like the results I get.  However, you can use the starter mix and pots if you prefer.)

First, you'll need to figure out which seeds will go where.  I've decided that my squash, zucchini and red peppers will be started in the pellets, and in the plastic containers I've gotten from my grocery store.  The tomatoes will go in the pellets that you can barely see at the top right.

If you're using the pellets, you'll need to rehydrate them before you can use them.  To do this, place them in the container and add water. You'll probably need to add quite a bit of water.  Don't worry about adding too much--whatever isn't absorbed, you can pour off.  (And I did just that.)  These are what the pellets look like before water is added to them.

It will take a few minutes (around five or so) for the pellets to absorb the water and rehydrate.  As they are doing this, they will grow plump and taller. These grew to about two inches or so. (You may notice that I've used two different types of pellets. These are just the ones that were available at different stores when I purchased them.) 

Once they've stopped rehydrating, give them a good squeeze to loosen up any compacted insides.

You'll notice that there's a slight indentation at the top of each of the pellets.  Next, place one seed per pellet into the slight indentation.

Yes, it's a tiny seed.  Yes, you'll really only need one seed per pellet.  Really.

See the itty-bitty seeds on the top?  It's the tiny yellow dot.  (These are tomato seeds.)

Use a toothpick to gently press the seeds down into the pellets.  You don't need to go very deep--maybe just a smidgen.  After the seed is pressed down, use the toothpick to gently cover the seed.

Once all the seeds are pushed in and gently covered, you'll need to put the lids on your containers and place in a warm spot.  To start the seeds, you'll need warmth, but not light. You won't place the seedlings under lights until they've actually started to emerge.

Warm is really a relative term--I placed mine in the basement, next to an oil filled electric radiator space heater set on low.  The thermostat next to it read a consistent 62 degrees. 

Almost immediately you may notice the condensation starting on the lid of the container.  That's a good thing.  If you're planting more than one different seed type, you should label what you've started.  You can see I got all fancy-schmancy and used a Sharpee marker on Duct tape.

Now, comes the most difficult part.  Waiting.

Check your seeds every day and make sure that the container is moist.  There shouldn't be water pooling in the bottom of the container, but your pellets should be damp and condensation should be on the cover. 

In about a week, your seeds should start to sprout.  Here are mine after seven days.

Tomatoes from the seeds I harvested from last year's crop of Purple Cherokee and Pineapple Heirloom tomatoes.

Squash seeds

Once they've sprouted, it's time to get them under lights, which I'll cover in the next post.

Spring Fever: Preparing to Plant Seeds

My fingers are itching. No, I don't have a skin condition, I have spring-itis. It's main symptoms are a strong desire to pick daffodils, plant seeds, and listen for robins singing outside a window.

Oh, you have it, too?

There's a treatment for spring-itis, ya' know. Start some seeds!

Okay, I have a confession to make here. (Yet, another confession!) I have a compulsion to buy seeds. My friend, Amber, says it's a problem, but I think it's only a problem in her eyes because she has to hear about all the seeds I buy.

I truly don't know how to resist all those little packets with pretty flowers or veggies,or herbs on the front. So, I do what any other gardener would do, and I buy seeds.

Before any seeds are bought or started, you need to figure out a few things.

1. You need to know in which growning zone you live. Knowing this zone will help when you starting thinking about what to plant and if it will actually grow in your zone. You don't want to buy an orange tree (which would do well in Zone 9) if you live in Maine (Zone 3-5). The USDA has a nifty little map that will tell you in which zone you reside. Here it is on the National Gardening Association website.
2. You need to know where you're going to plant your seeds once they actually become plants. How much space will you have to plant? Will you be planting in the ground, in a container, or will you be doing vertical planting? Does your spot get morning sun, afternoon sun, all day sun, or all day shade?
3. You need to figure out want to plant. There are many different options, from vegetables to herbs to fruits and flowers. Deciding what to plant may be the most challenging! My advice is to get a few catalogues from reputable seed companies (like Jung Seed) and start looking. Most experienced gardeners will tell new gardeners (that may be you) to start small--start with a few plants. I'd say, if you have a burning desire to plant okra (like I did) even if you've never ever in your life planted okra and don't even know what an okra plant looks like (like I did), then you should plant it (like I did). Do, however, start with just a few of your favorites and don't plant every thing you see in a seed catalogue. (As a side note, the okra grew beautifully and was very productive, partly because I planted the type of okra that was known to grow in my zone.)

So, you have your zone, you have your spot, and you've selected the plants you want to plant. You've even bought your seeds. What next?

Next, let's gather the materials we'll need.

Starting seeds is remarkably easy (and when I say "easy" I mean that nearly anyone can do it and be somewhat successful, even someone who has never started seeds before).

You'll need the following:

• Your seeds. Some plants, like tomatoes, bell peppers, cabbage and eggplants, do best when seeds are planted in a little pot or container, instead of being planted directly in the ground. This is especially true if your growing season is short, or if the plants take awhile to get to a point to produce fruit or vegetables.
• Little pots or containers or peat pots. Some people use cleaned yogurt containers, or buy the little starting kits from places like Wal-Mart, Target or Lowes. I like the pellets and have had good success with those. I've seen lots of information on the internet about making your own starting pots from toilet rolls, egg crates or newspaper, and for a new gardener, they're incredibly frustrating and they didn't work well at all for me.
• Starter soil. This is not potting soil, nor is it dirt! Starting soil is lighter weight than potting soil or dirt and will allow those young, delicate roots to grow like they need to. Depending on how many seeds you plant, it's likely you won't need a whole lot of it, so don't go buying it in 10 lb. bags.
• Labels for the seeds. You'll need to keep track of what you planted in which pots. This is easy if you're only planting one type of seed. You can use anything fancy, or just a sheet of paper with the name of the seeds written on it, tucked under the set of pots.
• Lights for the plants. I use plain fluorscent shop lights I bought at Lowes for under $15 each. The fluorescent light bulbs will work fine--you don't need to buy special light bulbs, honest. (I didn't believe it at first, either.)
• Something to cover the seeds. Remember those starter kits I was talking about? One of the things they have are the clear plastic covers that cover the seeds and soil to keep in the humidity while the seeds are trying to sprout. You can buy the kits or use plastic wrap, the plastic "clam shell" containers (like which comes with a salad at the grocery store salad bar) or even an aquarium turned upside down with the pots in it. Last summer, I found VCR storage containers at a garage sale for 25 cents each! They have covers which will be good for starting seeds and retaining the humidity and warmth as the seeds begin to sprout.

So, now you have your supplies. Get ready, because it's almost time to plant those seeds!