Growing sugar snap peas on trellis (DIY snap pea trellis and preparing sugar snap peas for winter)
How to grow sugar snap peas in the ground cultivation. Last time, we planted snap pea seeds. About one month has passed since then. This time, I will explain how to set up a trellis and how to protect the snap pea plants from the cold. (Since sugar snap peas are grown through the winter, this is the preparation for winter.)
https://www.vege-try.net/en/seed-snap-peas-2022-enHow to set up a trellis for snap peas (Grow sugar snap peas on trellis)
Prepare 4 stakes with a diameter of 1.6cm (0.63 inches) and a length of 150cm (5 feet). Since we’ll be attaching twines later, ribbed surface design stakes are recommended. (Ribbed design helps prevent the twines from slipping down.)
The stakes are placed at the four corners of the snap pea plot. The way to set up the stakes can change a little depending on the size of the garden and the shape of the plot, but in our field, it is common to place four stakes at the four corners.
To set up the stakes, first, push the stakes into the ground by hands. It’s okay if the stake goes into the ground about 25cm (10 inches) deep. If the soil is too compact and the stake doesn’t go in easily, just push it in as far as it will go for now.
If the soil is too hard and the stake can’t go in 25cm (10 inches), use a hammer. Hammer the stake 10cm (4 inches) deeper from where it stops.
When driving in stakes, be careful not to go too deep. If you drive the stakes in too deep, they will be hard to remove when you clean up the sugar snap peas.
Tie twines across the stakes (DIY sugar snap pea trellis)
String hemp twine on the stakes to support sugar snap peas. About 15cm (6 in.) spacing between twines.
For now, we’ve set up hemp twines in 3 rows. We’ll add more rows above as the snap peas grow.
Preparing snap peas for winter (Cold protection for sugar snap peas)
Finally, prepare sugar snap peas for winter and protect them from the cold. Place non-woven fabric over the twines on the trellis. (Secure the non-woven fabric with clothespins so it doesn’t blow away in the wind.)
You might wonder, Can non-woven fabric really protect against the cold? But it seems this is enough for snap peas. (The warm air rising from the ground is trapped by the fabric, so it works for cold protection.)
Cold protection for snap peas depends on the growing area’s environment and how cold the winter is that year. In our field last year, we used the “andon style" for snap pea cold protection. (Andon style is a method where non-woven fabric is wrapped around the trellis to keep the plants warm.)
With the andon style, the snap peas are fully wrapped in non-woven fabric, so the cold protection is perfect. However, there is a downside, poor airflow causes trapped moisture.
Of course, in areas where snow or frost occurs often, the andon style is better for cold protection. But in areas where it’s not too cold, placing non-woven fabric on top is enough.
That’s it for setting up the trellis and cold protection for sugar snap peas.
Following is the video for how-to. English subtitles are available.