Peas

[Mortality]

I soaked the peas (Onward) overnight in water, then planted them, of the 8 I planted (indoors in pots) only one has germinated and that one is now about 2 inches tall.

Does that mean the rest are dead?

Should I plant more without soaking them?

[Mortality]

[mat]

how long ago were they sown?

When did the "one" germinate?

[Mortality]

Soaked 17th Febuary, planted 18th Febuary, Pea sprouted 28th Febuary.

[chriscross1966]

Why are you soaking them overnight?... I'd just leave them in a tray with some damp kitchen towel if you want to chit them. Soaking them might well have killed them, they do need oxygen as well as water......

chrisc

[Mortality]

I read somewhere on here that soaking was to give them a head start  :-[

[mat]

I would not soak them for that length of time.  peas are easy to germinate and don't have a hard coating.  If you really wish to soak, half an hour will do.

Also, peas are "cool weather" plants and don't like germinating in hot weather.  As you sowed them inside what was the temp of the house?  Were they in a hot window in sun?  Peas will germinate from about 4.5 degrees, but above 21 degrees germination levels will drop...

[mat]

plus, just thought - check for damping off - this can occur "pre emergence" (before the seedling appears above the soil)

What I'd also do, is dig around, and find the seeds.  Do they look like they germinated?  If not, cut one open with a sharp knife and see if it looked like it tried to germinate!

[plot51A]

I planted Avola and Douce Provence in cardboard module pots on my cool windowsill on 12/2. I put 4 per module, 9 modules of each = 72 peas planted. No soaking, straight into damp compost. Only 1 seed (Avola) has failed to germinate. They really need to go in to the ground urgently now, hoping for early this week. I have also often read about soaking peas before planting, and dithered about it, but never done it and haven't had germination problems. More bothered (in the ground) by small furry creatures and larger feathered ones so now always cover them  ;D

[Mortality]

I would not soak them for that length of time.  peas are easy to germinate and don't have a hard coating.  If you really wish to soak, half an hour will do.

Also, peas are "cool weather" plants and don't like germinating in hot weather.  As you sowed them inside what was the temp of the house?  Were they in a hot window in sun?  Peas will germinate from about 4.5 degrees, but above 21 degrees germination levels will drop...

They were in the front bedroom which is warmer, but I doubt it got upto 21 degrees.
I'll poke about and see what happened.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Soaking overnight should be OK, I've done it with peas, and next morning they were happily putting out roots. Don't do it for longer than that though. Onward is a wrinkle-seeded variety, and they do rot very easily. They could have been too cold or too wet. I think you tried too early; give it another go when the weather warms up, and probably keep them drier.

[Mortality]

Soaking overnight should be OK, I've done it with peas, and next morning they were happily putting out roots. Don't do it for longer than that though. Onward is a wrinkle-seeded variety, and they do rot very easily. They could have been too cold or too wet. I think you tried too early; give it another go when the weather warms up, and probably keep them drier.

Ok thanks very much  ;)

[Mortality]

Humm looks like they were rotten, too damp then  :-\

[sunloving]

Hi Mortality
just wanted to say that in all probability in most areas you can sow peas direct with great sucess and no faffing about.

So I would try sowing a line outside, this will tell you if you have a mouse problem (as they will dig them all up and leave them scattered).

I live in lancaster and im thinking that i will sow my first line in about 10 days. then i will plant a line every month until july so i have a new crop each month.

So i recomend giving direct sowing a try becuase its so much easier and you get stronger plants.

x sunloving

[Robert_Brenchley]

I tried this the first couple of years I had the plot. The pigeons ate them. The only time I've made it work was when I planted a row under a cloche. Most of the varieties I'm growing are scarce to extremely rare, and I wouldn't take the risk!

[Mortality]

Hi Mortality
just wanted to say that in all probability in most areas you can sow peas direct with great sucess and no faffing about.

So I would try sowing a line outside, this will tell you if you have a mouse problem (as they will dig them all up and leave them scattered).

I live in lancaster and im thinking that i will sow my first line in about 10 days. then i will plant a line every month until july so i have a new crop each month.

So i recomend giving direct sowing a try becuase its so much easier and you get stronger plants.

x sunloving

Hehe, I know I have a mouse problem, since theyre back in the house again (got the council mouse killers out again) We have had trouble on and off with mice since 2004. Thats why I was going for plants that I could transplant, so the little furry darlings didn't get the chance of pinching the seeds from the garden.

[Mortality]

Why are you soaking them overnight?... I'd just leave them in a tray with some damp kitchen towel if you want to chit them. Soaking them might well have killed them, they do need oxygen as well as water......

chrisc

I'm trying this method, how soon after the roots have appeared should I put them in the compost?

[Robert_Brenchley]

At once. I wouldn't soak them for more than 24 hours, then plant them with or without roots.

[Torreya]

Best of luck with your next sowings!

Can I swap your mice for my rats, squirrels, weasels and Pheasants??  Hubby goes mad when I feed the wildlife/birds, says I'm just tempting them to eat 'his' veg! 

We're lucky in a way, because the meeces don't seem to touch the seeds I sow direct. If I start stuff off in the glasshouse, they seem to look on that as home-delivered and what they don't eat, they wreck!  An old gardener's trick was to soak the seed (peas especially) in paraffin, the smell kept the little darlings away. Sounds plausible, but I keep forgetting, must be my age..................

[Robert_Brenchley]

My father used to use a mixture of paraffin and red lead. Any mouse that wasn't scared off must have come to a painful end. Paraffin won't last forever, but the smell will probably endure till the plant gets estabished, which is all you need. Usually putting them on the top shelf in themini-greenhouses is enough, but they were probably despearte in the very cold weather.

[JJ]

hi i put some peas in pot in my greenhouse on the 28th feb how long for there little heads pop up