Planting peas

[caroline7758]

I've sown peas three to a 4" pot. They are growing well and should be ready to go out soon. Should I plant the three plants together to avoid root disturbance, or pull them apart and plant singly? I've never had much luck with peas so am hoping this will be the year I get some!

[caroline7758]

[Amazingrotavator(Derby)]

My Mrs did the same and planted them out together. All going well.

[goodlife]

No need to separate...just plant them as they are 
I sow 4-5 peas into 3" pots and do the same, leaving couple of inches gap between each pot full.

[kt.]

My son beat me at sowing peas when he was 4yrs old. I used to sow as the packet directed but with minimal success.  I made him the mini trench and asked him to sow but when I looked around he had thrown in the entire packet in 1/3 - 1/2 the ground I would of covered.  Best results ever so I have done the same every year since and had great results.

1.  Prepare the soil and rake it to a fine finish.
2.  Water along the trough.
3.  Use a hoe to create a trough about 1-2" deep but the width of the hoe.
4.  Sow peas direct using the full width and length.  Not as the packet says but sprinkle them in the trough as you go, usually ends up with peas being 1-2" apart from each other in any direction.  One packet of 300 seeds gets me about 25-30ft row.  (Yes they are sown more liberally but you end up with a full row with no gaps.  Saves messing about transplanting and disappointment with gaps when you sow as the packet says - 3" apart in any direction.)
4.  Rake the loose soil back over the peas, covering them 1 - 2 inches.
5.  Relax and have patience waiting for the harvest.

[caroline7758]

Thanks for the replies. Think I'll sow some direct when I plant the rest.

[gavinjconway]

My son beat me at sowing peas when he was 4yrs old. I used to sow as the packet directed but with minimal success.  I made him the mini trench and asked him to sow but when I looked around he had thrown in the entire packet in 1/3 - 1/2 the ground I would of covered.  Best results ever so I have done the same every year since and had great results.

1.  Prepare the soil and rake it to a fine finish.
2.  Water along the trough.
3.  Use a hoe to create a trough about 1-2" deep but the width of the hoe.
4.  Sow peas direct using the full width and length.  Not as the packet says but sprinkle them in the trough as you go, usually ends up with peas being 1-2" apart from each other in any direction.  One packet of 300 seeds gets me about 25-30ft row.  (Yes they are sown more liberally but you end up with a full row with no gaps.  Saves messing about transplanting and disappointment with gaps when you sow as the packet says - 3" apart in any direction.)
4.  Rake the loose soil back over the peas, covering them 1 - 2 inches.
5.  Relax and have patience waiting for the harvest.

KT that is the best and best way to grow peas.. I do sometimes dip the peas in some paraffin to keep the mices away from smelling the dry peas and digging them up.

I sometimes start some early ones off end of winter in guttering in the greenhouse with very good results... get peas a month earlier ... but it's a bit of a faff to keep them growing small and not get too leggy and topple over before planting out..

[George the Pigman]

Having given up overwintering peas several years ago (they all rotted!) I now grow my first lot of peas in roottrainers then plant them out. That way they get minimal disturbance. This first lot gives excellent results. However later ones sowed in the ground are usually disappointing (apart for some reason mange tout.) Anyone any idea why this should be??

Also any tips for preventing pea moth?

[squeezyjohn]

My only tactic to work 100% on my plot with a huge mouse population is to get them underway in lengths of guttering full of soil and compost back home then just sliding the whole lot in to place once they've put on enough growth to be safe.

However - I can heartily recommend mashing up lots of old sprouting garlic in some water and soaking the peas in that for 24 hours before planting them as a great alternative to paraffin if you feel uncomfortable about using it - it worked for me this year and last ... the second batch I sowed this year were not soaked in garlic and every single one disappeared - apart from a few that turned up at the other end of my plot hidden under the blueberry bushes!

Mice and peas don't mix!

I haven't yet tried the old method mentioned in The Victorian Kitchen Garden series which was to cut lots of small pieces of gorse and mix that in under the peas and on top to stop the mice by prickling their noses!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I start a dozen peas in a three-inch pot, and plant them all out together. It works fine.

[saddad]

That's how we do it too!

[pumkinlover]

My only tactic to work 100% on my plot with a huge mouse population is to get them underway in lengths of guttering full of soil and compost back home then just sliding the whole lot in to place once they've put on enough growth to be safe.

However - I can heartily recommend mashing up lots of old sprouting garlic in some water and soaking the peas in that for 24 hours before planting them as a great alternative to paraffin if you feel uncomfortable about using it - it worked for me this year and last ... the second batch I sowed this year were not soaked in garlic and every single one disappeared - apart from a few that turned up at the other end of my plot hidden under the blueberry bushes!

Mice and peas don't mix!

I haven't yet tried the old method mentioned in The Victorian Kitchen Garden series which was to cut lots of small pieces of gorse and mix that in under the peas and on top to stop the mice by prickling their noses!

Some useful tips there thanks, great thread!

[chriscross1966]

I start mine in bedding strip modules, 16 seeds to a strip, plant them out with a six inch gap between the modules if I plant in the ground, or else one on each side of a big square self-watering pot...

[goodlife]

I start mine in bedding strip modules, 16 seeds to a strip, plant them out with a six inch gap between the modules if I plant in the ground, or else one on each side of a big square self-watering pot...

Oh, that reminds me...I have great big pile of those trays stashed away..long forgotten. Somebody gave me load of them when cleaning their shed out and I never really found use for them...but for peas.... Thank you for a good idea..
...now all I have to do is make my way through all the junk that is stored in my shed..they'll be 'stored' away under everything else in far corner off course..

[Vinlander]

I start mine in bedding strip modules, 16 seeds to a strip, plant them out with a six inch gap between the modules if I plant in the ground, or else one on each side of a big square self-watering pot...

Oh, that reminds me...I have great big pile of those trays stashed away..long forgotten. Somebody gave me load of them when cleaning their shed out and I never really found use for them...but for peas.... Thank you for a good idea..
...now all I have to do is make my way through all the junk that is stored in my shed..they'll be 'stored' away under everything else in far corner off course..

For me the advantage of these is:

1) there is more depth so they grow well until the seed is spent - so mice show little interest when you plant them out (also because you can leave them longer so the mice have other food sources).
2) they fit neatly in a gravel tray which makes watering so much easier - and with sensible spacing you can get 1.5m+ of row from every tray.

However I prefer bottomless pots to minimise root disturbance and you can make these by cutting the long thin sides off a juice (brick) packet (5 to a tray) - though it helps to wrap eg a plastic bag across the bottom half before filling to make it easier to lift out. Alternatively  if you split the bottom lengthways like a bomb bay you get flaps to hold the soil in and you can still drop the plants straight into the trench. The straight section of a 6 pint milk container fits 4 to a tray and is better for beans - and it's re-usable.

Cheers.

[goodlife]

This is getting into 'blue peter zone'.. ...good idea..pea 'bricks' 

I'll have to use those 'strips' up first..that will take few years....in mean while, I have to take up juice drinking and I have my 'bricks' ready when I run out strips. 
Though I do have that many pots too that I doubt I have to buy any new supplies in a hurry for next 10 yrs or so..