Topic: Why are my peas not working?

[squeezyjohn]

I wasn't very exact about the garlic and chilli water I'm afraid - I threw about 3 large heads of garlic in a big watering can full of water and added quite a lot of chilli sauces that had gone off ... the mice didn't come near!  Whereas they pinched all of the untreated ones I planted.

After I'd soaked the peas in the evil brew - I watered them with the leftover water to make the scent stronger.  I think it probably works by masking the smell of the germinating peas that the mice use to locate them rather than actively repelling the mice.

[craggle58]

Check for pea weevil. Little notches/nibbles on all the leaves. Mine have been decimated this year and have been eaten as soon as they were germinating.

[antipodes]

I can't really sow elsewhere as I live in a small flat and have no greenhouse or anything. Oh well, just have to be a pea less year and I will try that garlic tip maybe next year!

[calendula]

I sowed Alderman this year and the germination was dreadful and this was in trays in the greenhouse so not eaten or rotted just no germination, as always saved some to sow in situ when planting out with the others and again dreadful germination, so I imagine this could be a national problem or a seed merchant issue - mine were bought from King's seeds

[Silverleaf]

My germination's been a little mixed, but Salmon Flowered, Elisabeth, Telephone, Purple Podded, Golden Sweet and Sugar Bon germinated well. Waverex was terrible and Sugar Ann about 50%. Nothing to do with seed age as I first suspected as all mine except Telephone were 5 or 6 years old.

Telephone and Golden Sweet came from Real Seeds - I forget where I go everything else except Purple Podded, Salmon Flowered and Elisabeth which were gifted to me (by lovely people :)). And my 12 or so experimental varieties from the USDA and JIC have shown anything from 25% germination to 100%. Very mixed.

With French beans I'm seeing a lot more problems, but I guess they are trickier anyway. And it's much more obvious that beans from certain companies don't last long - the 5 year old cheapo seeds I got from places like Lidl and Wilko have rotted despite my best efforts to keep them on the drier side, but the ones from Real Seeds and Beans and Herbs or that I've saved myself have done much better.

It seems that a lot of people are having germination problems this year. I wonder what's going on?

[AlanP]

I have just read all of this thread and thought I would add my penny worth.
Along with several other allotment holders I have been having trouble germinating peas for the last 2 years.
Inside in trays in the green house, outside in drills, they just seem to rot for all of us. Up until 2 years ago I always started them off in seed trays with 100 percent germination.
We are beginning to think that it is poor seed, but saying that, different suppliers have been tried.
Any thoughts would be welcome, apart from buying frozen ones 

Alan 

[craggle58]

I always find sowing indoors makes for weaker, less vigourous seedings. I tend to sow thickly for best results direct. Saying that though this year's crop was still dismal. I have just had much better results in my last sowing with Thompson and Morgan seeds.

[busy_lizzie]

I tend to sow my peas in root trainers. It gives them a bit of a start, and they are a little sturder when I put them out. Do net them too though as pigeons are a real problem on our site.

[antipodes]

Germination is always a big problem for me. I am plagued with voles that make life a bit difficult. I have had better luck though since I started fleecing them... As I cannot go down every day to water, I think this keeps them moist and stops them from being eaten. For once I have had success with carrots and beetroot and got a smashing crop of baby leaves in a pot that was fleeced. It also stops too many other weed seedlings getting in there.