Where did I go wrong with peas?

[Esre]

I soaked some peas, left them and then soaked again. I put 20 in and from those 20, 11 germinated but only about 5 of those are showing any signs of making an effort.

I'm still only messing about at the moment but it would be nice to know for next time. Would I be better off starting in pots and then planting out or is direct sowing the best method?

There's been no sign of animal damage so far, they all seem to prefer my runner beans and radish!

Esre

[Esre]

[dawn34]

we didn't even soak ours just started off in pots all germinated and we have lots of peas no probs.

[KevTetley]

This was my first time.  I just planted them out at the end of March, didnt soak them at all and now i have a bumper crop.  I think maybe yours were too damp and rotted off. 

[gerbera]

I have sown direct for the first time this year, and despite sowing 1 for the pigeon, 1 for the mouse and 1 for the pot....I still had VERY poor germination.  ::)

So I have resorted to the tried and tested technique of using loo rolls - 2 seeds per roll, and planting out as soon as they are an inch tall.

Now I have plenty of plants all in flower...and all is not lost. ;D

I don't think I'll be trying direct sowing again! ;)

[Uncle Joshua]

I have five 8ft rows of peas all sown direct to soil and it looks like I have a 100% germination rate. (Kelvedon Wonder)

[gerbera]

Mine were Kelvedon Wonder too.....but then I live next to a railway track, with fields behind....its rabbit and mouse wonderland! ::)

[Uncle Joshua]

We have Rabbits too but each allotment is now fenced off using mesh.

[Esre]

Thanks guys, I hadn't considered they might have rotted with the soaking. I might try a half and half next year and direct sow earlies and plant mains on later. (Heh I almost sound like I know what I'm doing :))

[antipodes]

Here, lots of people have complained that it has been a rotten year for peas, I have had a very disappointing first crop. Perhaps the weather has not been favorable for them this year??

[Trevor_D]

I never sow direct: MICE! (I did one year, from lack of time: got 1 plant from half a packet!)

And I never soak them. I sow them in a double row an inch apart along a 4' length of guttering. (Seal up the ends with gaffa tape to stop the compost falling out.) You never get 100% germination, but you'll get enough to have a good well-filled row. To plant, dig a narrow trench, take the gaffa off one end and slide the lot out. (Normally, it doesn't want to play, so you have to slide it out in 2 or 3 blocks.)

My early peas weren't brilliant this year: I haven't picked any yet and I normally reckon to have them by the beginning of June. But the main crop seem to be going great guns; just hope the pigeons aren't too hungry!

[manicscousers]

we plant the same as you, trevor, luckily, we have a poly so the first ones were sown early march, planted out early april, we've had 3lb of peas from a 4' row, second row's just started, third are just flowering..we've two gutters full now, ready for when the spuds come up..but hanging in the fruit cage  ;D
we planted the first out against chicken wire, they were nibbled a bit but seemed to be ok
so, they're all growing against wire now  :)