rotten peas...

[crazii_c]

i dont seem to be having much look with my peas. i tried sowing a few lots outside in my plastic green house and none of them showed any signs of life. I then decided to try sowing some indoors on the windowsill. the problem is out of 15 peas only 2 have come up they rest have just rotted in the soil. i never had a problem with my peas last year, but at this rate im just not going to have enough peas. anyone got any tips or pointers to where i might be going wrong.

[selfraising]

Same here! I sowed some outside and some in the gh but both lots seem to have rotted with only 4 coming up. Will be interested in what others say.

[kittykat8]

sounds daft any chance a mouse got them in greenhouse,i have had problems with pea seed and sweetpeas, have got trays balanced high out of reach

[Pumpkin Becki]

Could you be overwatering them crazii c? Seeds need very little moisture to germinate in, too much and they will just rot.

[crazii_c]

it could be over watering. i read somewhere that peas need a decent amount of water to germinate and that some people soak them overnight first. i dont soak them but ive given them a good watering.

[Pumpkin Becki]

You can soak them in a dish of water to start the germination (personally I don't bother), but when you pot-up do it into moist soil and keep the soil just-moist, not wet, until the seed leave start to show. After that you can water normally.

[zazen999]

I'm chitting most of my beans this year as I don't want any to rot; so try putting a handful into some compost, in a plastic bag and add a little water and leave them somewhere warm. Too cold, or too wet and they rot.

[selfraising]

Right judging by the replies I think mine have got too wet too because they were outside all be it in grow pots and we've had some pretty heavy rain lately. Mice didn't get mine cos I had a furtle and the squishy pea was still in there, just very squishy and rotten looking. I will try Zazs' method next time.

[Two_Sheds]

too wet and too cold. Drier and cold is OK; wet and warm is OK, but not wet and cold soil.

I'd recommend you chit them first (soak overnight etc just as you would a kidney bean before you cooked it)

Once they have chitted, sow them but go easy on the watering.

[Flummery]

I soak overnight but I don't wait for them to sprout. Then I put them in compost straight from the bag and don't water. They come up ok like this.

Incidentally - I soaked 11 Magnum Bonum peas when I intended to sow 12. (when you run out of fingers it gets complicated!)
I put one unsoaked one in. It was amongst the first up. I'm not convinced they need that much water at all!

[basketcase]

I soak overnight but I don't wait for them to sprout. Then I put them in compost straight from the bag and don't water. They come up ok like this.

Incidentally - I soaked 11 Magnum Bonum peas when I intended to sow 12. (when you run out of fingers it gets complicated!)
I put one unsoaked one in. It was amongst the first up. I'm not convinced they need that much water at all!

Magnum Bonum - what a lovely name for a pea!

[DaveJ]

Sounds like overwatering. When planting seeds success also depends on the company where the packet of seeds come from. Some seed companies have a higher germination rate than others.

[jacob]

I 'chitted' my peas last year using damp kitchen towel (primary school style). It worked brilliantly. This year I can to plant yesterday, but nothing had happened. Luckily I decided this wasn't good so sowed fresh unchitted seed. Good job as today the chitting peas have all gone furry.