Peas..

I always grow Hurst Greenshaft, are you sowing the peas in the ground? 2 inches deep and the width of a thumb apart. If you get too many plants you can always take some of the overcrowding ones out. Mix in some multipurpose compost and don't sow too early because night time temperatures are sometimes too low. Moisten the soil/compost before sowing and then you don't usually need to add any more water until after the pea plants emerge. Pea seeds will rot if the soil is too damp. Keep weeds down. Water well and feed when the pods form that is after the flowers die down. In actual fact I'm sowing mine today. Chicken wire 3ft is best for them to scramble up and you can tie in the plants as they grow up. HTH 

Tvman 

Look for Gardens and gardening 2025 Fleabane 

Ooo ty...will give it a try when we get back off hols.. we tried growing in toilet rolls and planting, we bought seedling from different garden centres...but each year total failure...green beans no problem...

Ty for your advice oh mighty green fingered prince   

Hugs  

Hi Fleabane, firstly enjoy your holiday there's plenty 0f time to get your peas started.

I do my peas a little different to tvman, though I do like Hurst Greenshaft, I prefer Kelvedon Wonder, don't be tempted by early varieties or especially over wintering ones as peas like it warm.

Up until early June I start my peas under cover in modules or those throw away plastic cups, I don't throw mine away, in compost, 2 peas to a pot about 1inch deep, 2inch when sowing outside, the important thing is watering, too much too often and you will lose them and to tell, I pick up a module and go by how much weight it has, compost has enough  nutrients for 6 weeks for the peas to grow m, by which time they will be ready to go out, because our summer rainfall is rubbish, I live near Doncaster, but hot and sunny I have to dig in organic matter to hold moisture in, I sow exactly like tvman but always in 2 parallel rows about 2o inches apart running alongside the outside of the rows I sow beetroot about 8 inches away, they help each other, nettles make a good fertiliser, and look out for mice.

love Eddie and Sheila xx 

Here is my method Fleabane. Sometimes I would sow peas in plastic root trainers, 1 in each root trainer and when each plant is well established I open the root trainers and transplant. I find transplanting a bit fiddly and sometimes you lose the odd plant. If you sow 2 or 3 seeds to a container you need to then tip the young seedlings out and untangle the roots before transplanting each individual seedling. Some years I would use that method as well as sowing individual pea seeds. 

You can also get your soil ready then using a hoe, make a channel about 2 inches deep and sow your seeds either side of the chicken wire. Once sown, cover each row with the same soil that you have drawn back. You'll see that this year I have used sheep wire because I have used my chicken wire to surround my raised beds because I had an issue with rabbits jumping into the beds and digging a large, deep hole, unearthing whatever I had in the bed. Soul destroying.

Peas placed into a previously watered drill, either side of the wire:

I then cover each row with 2 inches of multi purpose compost that stops weeds from germinating. The compost also seals in the moisture and no need to water until seedlings have established:

Good luck Fleabane. Believe it or not, I have sown approximately 500 pea seeds! Root trainers will give you a maximum of 40 plants. I'll show you later what they're like. 

Tvman x

EDDIE, TVman ty so much...I told my hubby and we will definitely try the methods when we get home from holidays.  .. we both love fresh Peas from the vine...so sweet  

Hugs and ty

Hi Fleabane, here are the root trainers I was telling you about. Fill all the containers with compost, push a pea 2 inches into each of the root trainers then fill each hole with compost, set upright and water just enough to keep the compost damp but not waterlogged. The plants should appear in around 10 days and still keep them damp. When the pea plants are about 2 inches tall, open each section and transplant either side of a length of chicken wire. The good thing about that way is you can start your peas earlier under cover and control the watering. If you have plenty of room then you can sow a few under cover, transplant them and then when the soil is a little warmer you can sow seeds directly into the ground. Here are the photos:

32 different cells 

They open like this with a good root structure 

Whichever method you choose Fleabane, good luck 

Tvman