How deep to sow your Peas ??

All the Gardening books seem to suggest sowing peas about 2 inches deep outside.

Does anyone really think it's necessary to sow so deeply,especially as at this time of year the soil is so cold and wet and they're going to be slow to germinate,so are more likely to rot at this depth.

Let's face it you don't sow sweet peas anywhere near as deeply,so why the depth ?

Would they be any worse off sown at an inch deep ?

What do you reckon??

 

An interesting thought.
Depth of sowing seems to relate to size of seed - very fine seeds can be surface sown, sweet peas are about half the size of garden peas while spuds are even bigger!
I agree with the cold/wet/rotting problem situation you describe, but the opposite situation can apply when sown an inch deep during a dry spell when there isn't enough moisture.
However given my experience last year when my first sowings that were started in the GH in March and then transplanted and came on fine. Then my May sowings direct in the ground failed due to the wet late May/early June - I think you might have a point.

 

I know what you mean.

I think I'm going to sow an inch deep this year and if it is dry....Heres Hoping :D then just give 'em a bit of a watering.

 

I rekon the depth is to deter vermin.

 

I have started mine in greenhouse they are about 1inch just now,do you have to wait till all signs of frost have gone,i dont want them to get too leggy? how deep will i plant them, when its time,i was going to use troughs behind greenhouse next to fence

 

Hi Kathy
Last year I planted out my first batch of peas on 2nd April. I would guess that yours will be going into a fairly sheltered spot, so should be OK.
Just plant to the same depth as they are in the GH.
Mine are a bit later this year as I've started them in lengths of guttering in the polytunnel instead of in tubes in the propagator in the GH.

 

thanks Dave, yes they will be sheltered,also get quite a lot of sun,if we get any that is,hopefully it will be a better summer than last year,I know this is the worst winter we have had in a good few years

 

My most successful peas last year I started in loo roll centres which I planted out complete once the plants were a few inches high. A bit tedious, but the ones I planted straight in the ground failed to do much. Whether eaten by mice or rotted I could not determine.
(Once you start saving loo roll centres you will be amazed by how many the family gets through!)

 

I planted my peas in a length of guttering in the greenhouse last year, and then transplanted them into the ground. Every one germinated and I had a really good crop of peas.

I'm doing the same this year, although the weather is not so good at present, so I'll have to keep an eye on things.

 

Hi,

Getting pea seeds to germinate can be,and is tricky whatever the time or season in my experience, wether in spouting or direct into the ground!
On 3rd March I sowed in spouting in GHouse Oregon Sugar Pod and Early Onward peas. Plus 3 varieties of Dwarf beans, 3 seeds to a pot. They all were sown in a sieved mixture of peat and sand, 6 to 1 which was lightly wattered a few days previously and left to warm up.
By the 17th all French seeds had germinated (100%) but only 3 Early Onward and 8 OSP plants had appeared.
I checked the compost in the spouting and the seeds that had not germinated had turned to slime. It was not cold wet compost that was the problem, as it was quite dry!
The French Beans are growing like mad, and will soon need potting on into larger pots. I have resown the peas.
When I sown direct into the soil, I always cover the seeds with a fine dryish mixture of peat and sand before I then cover over the seeds with the ordinary soil.

It is very easily sowing lots of vegetable seeds in pots or trays in the GH,what to do with them once they have germinated is the problem.
Cheers.

 

Hi,I really appreciate all the tips regarding growing in guttering and pots etc.

The problem is that I don't have a greenhouse and I'm growing 15ft rows so I think it would be a bit time consuming to transplant from pots. :eek:

So I'm going to sow 1 inch deep and protect from mice with fine chicken wire and water if it's a bit dry :D that's a joke at the moment.

Cheers...

 

Vegman, what you do is take out a drill the width of a border spade and to the depth of 2 inches. you spread the seed in the bottom of the drill, spacing the seed so that they are about 2 inches apart in all directions. you then cover them with about 1 inch of soil. This leaves them in a slight depression which enables them to be kept moist at all times.