Growing Peas

Lotus-eater

rhiwfield, damo, while I applaud your wanting to be totally chemical free, think about what the alternative is? Chemical drenched food from the supermarket.
Those organic slug pellets are apparently not bad for wildlife and disappear into the soil. I'm not a chemist, so sometimes I have to believe what other people tell me, but I haven't heard anything bad about these yet.
You have to use your head as well as your heart, growing stuff is great and applauded, but if it doesn't even get to your plate, then you will still be eating the same vegetables that the shops sell, without any knowledge what was sprayed onto them.

Lotus-eater

Taye wrote: »

about a week got i planted another set and no sign of these yet either, i had abit of a dig and there is no sign of the seeds!!!

Mice are well known stealers of pea seed. Probably this is what happened to you.

Taye

Damn i have alot of mice, well at least i think i do my cat keeps bringing my bit's of mouse as prezzy's ugh... how do the naughtie little things know i planted my pea's just "there" tut tut.

So is starting them inside the way to go then?

Lotus-eater

There is loads of remedies for starting off pea seeds and stopping mice eating them, google it. I have never used any of them, either my cat keeps them off, or we haven't got very many. We really seem to get them in the Autumn when they clear the fields.
You can start them inside, I've done it in toilet rolls.

So as explained before I've never used any of the deterrants, but the one that always stuck with me, is that you germinate the seed inside on damp paper, then plant it in the soil, IIRC alot of the nutrients have gone from the seed by the time it is germinated and the mice don't want it so much.

Or just get some mouse traps

rhiwfield

Lotus-eater wrote: »

rhiwfield, damo, while I applaud your wanting to be totally chemical free, think about what the alternative is? Chemical drenched food from the supermarket.
Those organic slug pellets are apparently not bad for wildlife and disappear into the soil. I'm not a chemist, so sometimes I have to believe what other people tell me, but I haven't heard anything bad about these yet.
You have to use your head as well as your heart, growing stuff is great and applauded, but if it doesn't even get to your plate, then you will still be eating the same vegetables that the shops sell, without any knowledge what was sprayed onto them.

Agreed, which is why I'm now using them Trouble is that this year the combination of weather, opening up new growing areas and mulching weedy grass turves has tipped the balance in favour of the slugs and the plants havent been able to grow away from the slugs as well as usual. Just been the wrong year to give up slug pellets I guess.

Lotus-eater

rhiwfield wrote: »

Just been the wrong year to give up slug pellets I guess.

Just like the film "airplane". This is the wrong time to give up, alcohol/glue sniffing/coffee/crack/amphetamines/smoking.

Actually ..nothing like the film.... :rotfl:

rhiwfield

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Just like the film "airplane". This is the wrong time to give up, alcohol/glue sniffing/coffee/crack/amphetamines/smoking.

Actually ..nothing like the film.... :rotfl:

Nearly changed my name to Otto after seeing that film

Dustykitten

Taye I'm having a really bad pea year too, mine just don't seem to want to germinate and I've done all of mine indoors - I might soak the next lot for an hour before sowing like sweet peas and see if that helps, I'm doing sugar snaps but my purple mange tout were fine. Mine are the seeds I brought last year so maybe that is the problem?

RAS

My early peas (Meteor) were raised indoors and planted out when they had several leaves, after a couple of weeks hardening off. They are now flowering.

The mangetout - Golden Sweet - were planted last weekend but the protective window frame fell on them while I was away. Hoping they are OK when I check them tomorrow.

On the other hand my broad beans were eaten to the floor and that has never happened before.

I now use a three fold approach.

1. Plant indoors and do not plant out until they are high enough to survive any attack by mice.

2. After planting out (preferably into soil with a dry surface), cover with a sheet of glass on bricks to keep the surrounding soil dry and unattractive to slugs and snails,

3. Under the glass, add "organic" slug pellets.

i hate it but with the high rainfall this month...

I am planting some heritage french beans this weekend but under protection as I cannot risk them being eaten.

Katzen

Hi guys,
I've started a little container garden this year &now have the bug in a big way. I'm thinking about growing some peas as they're selling seeds in the local pound shop. From reading this thread I'm now a little confused-should I put them in plug trays to start off? Or, should I stick them directly into the container? I live in London so no doubt we're surrounded by mice. And finally, we have a balcony with a 4ft railing, could peas be convinced to grow around those or do they prefer to grow tall?
Thanks!