Do peas need pinching out

[KayJay]

Hi, everyone

My peas are now about 4-5 inches with several leaves on. Do I need to pinch out the tops so they will bush out, and when is the best time to transplant them into the garden, they are in a cold greenhouse.
Thanks for any information
Kath

[Cutecumber]

I thought pinching out is more for sweet peas (i.e. the flowers) than edibles, but you can pinch them out when they reach the top of your supports.

If they are an early variety then you could be hardening them off now. I planted my a couple of weeks ago, they are about 6 inches tall.

If they are a main crop you need to be a little more careful with the temperature and condition of the soil.

What variety are you growing?

[sewer rat]

No need to pinch out peas. Just leave them to their own devices. What variety are you growing ?

[KayJay]

Hi, they are from chase organics and they are called Weggisser . I have some mange tout Green shaft and some sugar snaps but they are both slower. I will plant them out shortly.
Kath

[KayJay]

Just had another thought, it's been along day! My tommy seeds show no signs of sprouting( in the same cold greenhouse). i know it's been cold and wet but should they have started by now (Artic ? free with gardening magazine). Should i start again and sow some more?

[srodders]

My Sub-arctic plenty aren't showing any signs of germination in a heated greenhouse. I'm wondering the same. Has anyone had any success yet? I'm giving them another week before giving up though.

To keep to thread - Peas are doing great, going to plant them out in a couple of weeks when I have time off work. I haven't pinched them out.

[mrdinkle]

I did some sub artic plenty last year - later than this and if my memory serves me correctly they were the slowest to germinate out of all my toms.

hth

[Sue]

Hi
I sowed some of the sub-arctics but in a heated propagator and still got them at home they're just showing their first proper leaves. I know from bitter experience that they don't thrive in an unheated greenhouse, killed all my tomatoes doing that in the first year so will not be taking them up to the allotment at least until beginning of May
Sue

[seasprout]

Just had another thought, it's been along day! My tommy seeds show no signs of sprouting( in the same cold greenhouse). i know it's been cold and wet but should they have started by now (Artic ? free with gardening magazine). Should i start again and sow some more?

Do you have a max - min thermometer in your greenhouse, if not you might be surprised how cold it gets at night, that it what is stopping your seeds germinating.

Start them indoors.

[Cutecumber]

Your tomatoes need more, and constant, heat to germinate - about 20 degrees is ideal. It's not going to happen in an greenhouse in early spring.

Sub Arctic plenty are slow compared to others and, in my experience, not the strongest growing plants.

[KayJay]

Thanks everyone for your valued knowledge. I will start again with those tomatoes and try them indoors. Heres hoping for some success with them this time. Will they be worth growing on? Do they taste great?

[Flummery]

I never sow toms in the greenhouse. Constant temp in the house so I grow there. My sub-arctics came up no trouble and are now sturdy little seedlings and spend the day in the unheated greenhouse and come in at night.

[lumpyjumper]

How do I find out if my peas are an early variety or a maincrop, I'm growing Rondo? It doesn't seem to say on the packet?

Also my sub-arctic plenty from the front of a magazine are doing ok in a south facing open glass porch, they've germinated but haven't yet got past the first two leaves stage! My max min this week has been between 30deg max and 2 deg min. As soon as any of my seeds are germinating I'm transferring them to the porch and they seem to thriving although the sweet peas are very leggy!!

[Eyren]

My Sub-Arctic Plenty seedlings (from this year's GYO freebie) are doing nicely - I germinated them indoors before moving to my south-facing conservatory (you have to keep a close eye on seedlings, though, and move them as soon as they germinate or they do get leggy).

Re peas, it depends on how tall the variety grows as to whether you need to pinch them out. I'm growing Waverex this year (also from Organic Gardening) which only grows to 60cm, so no need to pinch! If the description says they grow to 1.5m+, though, you can pinch them out when they reach the top of their support.

[Cutecumber]

lumpy jumper - Rondo is a "late maturing" pea. It's a maincrop.

Have a look at the peas:

Smooth seeded peas are usually sown at the coldest times (i.e. as "earlies"), and wrinkle seeded when it's warmer (i.e. maincrops)