to pea, or not to pea

[sallylockhart]

Sorry - its my last day at work before easter and the excitement is getting to me  ;D

Anyway, I was wondering  if it is ok to plant peas in modules inside, and then transplant them out later on?

I'm worried about this bonkers weather we are having killing them all off and so planting inside seems to me to be a good safe idea, but I have heard that peas can be troublesome by tangling themselves up with each other while in pots (in an affectionate manner I guess)

does anyone grow their peas in modules and can reassure me that module planting is an ok strategy?

thanks

sl

[sallylockhart]

[ALAN HOWELL]

A chap on our lottie sowed his in bog standard seed trays,(last year) xplanted them when they were 2" high and had bumper crop ;D.....Alan

[Dirkdigger]

Done exactly the same with mine, went in on Saturday along with sugarsnap peas, got 2 chances ;D
Also planted more seeds into allotment directly for a later crop and to compare with bringing them on at home.
DD

[jennym]

I've sown some direct over the last couple of weeks and will be sowing more over the next few weeks, I think they really should be ok to go straight out into the soil now.
Often though, I put some compost in the bottom of a seed tray, empty the packet in, cover with more compost and well water. Within a few days, they start to germinate, and then I sow them gently into a trench about 2" deep. Always get lots of peas this way.

[tim]

I would agree with that. They're pretty tough!

But what happened here??

They are for salads, of course.

[ellkebe]

Grew all of mine in pots last year and then transplanted out.  Seemed to work as several of my lottie neighbours sowed theirs direct and lost them to the mice and the birds.  Am doing the same this year, and mine are all cuddling each other on the window sill and in the cold frame as I type.  They always dis-entangle and re-entangle easily enough though - fickle lot  ;D ;D

[jennym]

They are positively bursting out of the tray, aren't they Tim!

I only really let mine start to germinate in the tray before sowing out, they very rarely get to the leaf stage.
The other thing I forgot to say is that after sowing into the trench, and pulling soil into the trench to cover them, I always slowly walk along to firm the soil down. Doesn't seem to hurt the sprouted ones at such a young stage, and definitely doesn't hurt unsprouted ones. I lose very few, if any to mice, and we do have mice on the site.

[RSJK]

I do not see any need at this time of the year to start them in pots, they should do quite well set into situation where they are going to grow at this time of the year.

[supersprout]

I would sow outdoors now - but sprout first for two or three days, just so the root is starting to swell.
Hope you are enjoying your pea shoots tim, bumper crop ;) :D

[Curryandchips]

I am sowing my peas by the compost in tray method. They are extremely easy to lift, I just slide my fingers underneath and tease them out. They separate readily, and the ungerminated ones stay in the tray. I have shallow dibbed holes and just drop them in and scrape over.

[sjg12]

Sowed mine in modules last year 2 to a 2 x 2 module and planted them out when a couple of inches high, had an excellent crop, tried some sowing outdoors and they got "got" by weevils.

this year i am doing the modules thing again....

hope this helps :)

[Lady of the Land]

I have planted directly into ground, but have had problems in past with few peas growing, not too sure whether mice or weather. This year covered with fleece as usual and bought 4 mouse traps. Set mouse traps outside of fleece covered pea area, under dustbin lid, raised slightly to allow mouse under and held down with brick to prevent it blowing away.

Have been down to check, caught one mouse, next time did not go down for a couple of days. When I did go found dustbin had been moved, there were areas dug in soil where dustbin had been left and no mouse traps. I then caught sight of an empty mouse trap about 3 meters away on allotment and realised what had probably happened. I expect I had caught a mouse, we have foxes on the site and one of these has smelt dead mouse and has dug in the soil to  get at it, taken it off in its mouth with my mouse trap. What a cheek ! - I thought I had worked out how to get my peas germinated.

[tim]

Sprout - yes - the first lot have been cut several times. Popular!
But what's gone funny with this lot??

[Debs]

A chap on our lottie sowed his in bog standard seed trays,(last year) xplanted them when they were 2" high and had bumper crop ;D.....Alan

Well that IS good news. After reading the info on my mangetout it said to plant 2" deep, so I thought the seedtray would be too shallow.
Today....I shall be sowing mangetout in seedtrays!! ;D

Thanks for that Alan ;)

[legless]

i've found my problem when sowing direct is that the seedlings get hammered by flea beetle when they are too small to cope, so i sow in guttering raised off the ground and plant out when they are 4" tall and they are big enough to cope with the bugs.

[Debs]

Hi Legless,

Have you settled in to your new house & job?

Debs

[busy_lizzie]

We have to sow them in modules first before we plant them in the soil, otherwise we don't get any at all.  We have tried for years to sow them out but they always get nibbled or is that nobbled. So we ensure they are sturdy and have a healthy root and they seem to have a better chance. Last year we even protected them with fleece for a while and got an even better crop.  busy_lizzie

[supersprout]

Sprout - yes - the first lot have been cut several times. Popular!
But what's gone funny with this lot??

The Pea Detective thinks that is a cat-shaped hole in the middle tim :o

[legless]

Hi Legless,

Have you settled in to your new house & job?

Debs

no not yet, still here til tuesday (fingers crossed) and should move in next friday.

[Rhys]

I've had trouble with peas too.

I soaked them overnight in water and am sprouting them for the first time this year and will plant them out when they have germinated.