Starting Peas Indoors

[Potstubsdustbins]

Thanks 2 Sheds the damp kitchen roll worked a treat really speeded thinks up planted 60 2 to a pot today, more to follow.

Colin

[Davyburns]

That's not very many - I bet your peas don't even make it to the kitchen

So how many can I put into a 30" wilko trough?

I have never seen peas growing before (blush)

[Two_Sheds]

So how many can I put into a 30" wilko trough?

hey, I do gardening, not maths
30" divided by each plant being 2" apart ... ?

[Davyburns]

hey, I do gardening, not maths
30" divided by each plant being 2" apart ... ?

I was wondering if I could stagger them and get more in?

[Kristen]

My normal pea-planing is a triple row 6" wide with the middle row staggered / offset, and 12 peas per foot (plus two extra at the end)

[Davyburns]

planted another 44, so that should fill my 3 30" troughs.
Thanks for the input

[Croila]

- soak the seeds overnight in tepid water - I use a glass or plastic dish, it doesn't much matter
- in the morning, drain the water off
- cover peas with damp kitchen paper (optional, but it keeps the moisture in)
- rinse them every day
- when chitted I put the lids on to take them up the lotty

They are on a windowsill from day one: I'm not allowed to have seeds & plants anywhere other than windowsills


within 2-4 days at room temp

Two Sheds, I'm just wondering ... Would this technique be worth using with sweet peas as well, please? I sowed quite a few on 13 March and the germination rate has been rubbish. Am thinking it would save a good bit of guddling about with more if I tried to germinate them your way first?

Also, would this work for runner beans?

I'm going to do the peas thing today though, so thank you very much once again for the advice

[Croila]

Two_Sheds, just a wee note to say thank you for the advice on chitting the peas. It worked!!


Chitted peas by croila, on Flickr

Only thing is, I may have left it too long before planting as the wee shoots look awfully long now, but what the heck, it's sooooo easy to do, if these are too far gone then I now know how to do more.

This is Douce Provence on the left and Kelvedon Wonder on the right. The Douce Provence germination rate is pretty rubbish, which I noticed before when I sowed some last year.

Think I'll use this technique all the time now, so I really appreciate your advice - thank you!

[chris]

Ok, I'm having a bit of a difficult time working out what you lot mean by double rows?

One row is like:

. . . . . .

Is a double like:

. . . . . .
. . . . . .

Or

.. .. .. .. ..

? Last year I planted them probably 4/5" apart, maybe 12 plants [small bed] in a row, then a row behind that one, about 6 inches form the first row, spaced the same. Infact, I think I (yes, I did infact) put two peas per planting station. I forgot to thin out too, so I had quite atangled mess, but a reasonable crop.

[Kristen]

x      X      X      X      X      x      x           ^
                                                      |
    X      X      X      X      x      x      x       6"
                                                      |
x      X      X      X      X      x      x           v
 <------  12"  ------------->

is how I do mine

[Germinater]

I grew peas last year just sowed them direct to container as don't have the space in garden left in cold frame in garden and almost all sprouted ... Think they don't need alot of special attention just protected from frost .they grew fine and we got quite a lot from them .
Not started this years yet but will in a few weeks and will just do what I did last time once the cold frame is free (don't have much room in there at the mo )

[Potstubsdustbins]

My peas are all in their containers now and going well, 2/3 days of warm weather and I will have to support them.

Don't know if it will work but my idea is to have a harvest in June with replacement seedlings coming on in
3" pots to hopefully get a late Sept harvest. Just greedy I guess.

Colin

[Two_Sheds]

Two Sheds, I'm just wondering ... Would this technique be worth using with sweet peas as well,...Also, would this work for runner beans?

Yes, I chit all my peas, beans and sweetcorn

thank you for the advice on chitting the peas. It worked!! - thank you!

You're welcome, I'm glad it's bean worthwhile

Ok, I'm having a bit of a difficult time working out what you lot mean by double rows?

Your second diagram, Chris. A double row is simply two rows together. One row, then another next to it, about 2" away. We sow peas in double rows because they help each other to stand up

[Croila]

Chitting beans and peas by croila, on Flickr

Oh no. I've done it again! Started this chitting business and probably let the shoots grow too long before sowing.

Or ... Is it worth just sowing these anyway, I wonder?

[Kristen]

The Kelevedon Wonder look a bit long, but they should be fine. The runners all look fine. The Moonlight look like they may be rotting to me? (I just put a piece of damp kitchen paper under my chitting seeds, so they aren't sitting in water). Plant the ones that have sprouted, post haste!, and you should be fine.