Starting peas off in 3" pots?

[Cosmo and Dibs]

Can I sow my pea seeds in small 3" pots? I would put one seed in each pot, then transfer them to the planting site.

I ask as I'm sure someone told me that you cannot move peas once they are growing as it upsets the roots.....?

[Two_Sheds]

True, peas don't like being moved. And you'd need a lot of pots for all the peas you want to grow?

Paper pots are much better, because you plant the whole thing in the ground ... no root disturbance at all. Some folk use guttering, but I can't get a length of gutter on me bike up to the lotty.

(look in growing techniques for my paper pot recipe)

[glut]

I didn't know you weren't supposed to do it so I started my peas in exactly the same way as you are thinking...3 inch pots. They transplanted just fine and are now about 12" tall.

[lez]

go for it. I have sown peas in the blue mushroom boxes lined with paper and transplanted them out with no ill effect. any plant will benefit from as little root disturbance when transplanting as it can cause them to bolt. I would sow two seeds per pot and if both grow put them both out. Same as two sheds I can't find guttering long enough. guttering is less than 3" deep. you could use the new row things I see advertised but having seen them at a garden centre they are expensive and like root trainers will not take rough treatment. My granddaughter managed to trash a dozen in blink of an eye(shes only two)so yes sow you peas and plant them out when ready I say.

[pigletwillie]

I sow all my peas in either 3 or 5 inch pots. Two seeds to a 3" and 3 in a 5" pot. I use square pots and 15 3" pots fit in a standard seed tray.

After trying just about every way of growing peas from using guttering, root trainers and loo rolls, I have concluded that pots are the easiest and least hastle out of the lot, bar sowing direct, My main crop peas are soewn direct and netted over, the heritage jobbies get much more care till I have lots of seed.

[zazen999]

I use modules, if they grow a good root system then they just pop out when you go to transplant them. 2 or 3 to a big module and 1 to a little module. Make sure the soil is on the dry side when you take them out and they are a delight to transplant.

[Crundy]

I used little peat pots which worked fine, although they did subsequently get wrecked by the chickens :\

[coreopsis]

I'm probably mixed all together.
Mine are in modules like zazen's
2 seeds per module like lez's.
They were about 2 inches last week.The weather's been cr@p last week-lashing rain,windy and cold-only about 3-4 degrees in the morning.They still want to grow and started to be a bit wobbly.

[Spiderling]

Hi Cosmo and Dibs. We sowed our peas in 3" round pots, 4 to a pot, in the greenhouse. They germinated well and we then moved them into the cold frame to harden them off before planting them out. We planted them just as they were, so no root disturbance at all and they are now 12" tall and some of them are starting to flower! We are just repeating the process. We will direct sow some more, now the ground has warmed up.
We also grow marrowfats...a box of Batchelors goes a long way and they are delicious! I thought my husband was winding me up (AGAIN) when he said he was going to sow Batchelors and I made him a very sarcastic label with "Batchelors Mushy". I had to eat my words of disbelief along with the peas!!! Our fellow plot holders are growing them now, too! Cheers.

[Cosmo and Dibs]

True, peas don't like being moved. And you'd need a lot of pots for all the peas you want to grow?

Paper pots are much better, because you plant the whole thing in the ground ... no root disturbance at all. Some folk use guttering, but I can't get a length of gutter on me bike up to the lotty.

(look in growing techniques for my paper pot recipe)

I've just read your paper pot recipe......seems very simple!

So, to be clear, I can just put the whole paper pot in the ground where I want it to grow?

Do I need to make a hole in the bottom for the roots to grow through when I plant it?

And, how many pea seeds should I put in one paper pot?

Ta!