can't grow (snow) peas

[George]

We grow a considerable variety of vegetables from seed: beans, beets, turnips, radishes, kale, sometimes corn, etc. We get good germination rates on pretty much everything, except peas. (Snow & Sugar Snap, if it matters.) For those, we get maybe one in ten, at best. The few that do germinate seem to grow OK. Not that we have a lot to compare them to.

We're in central NY, zone 5-ish. We start planting (peas) around mid-April, depending on the weather, and give up around the beginning of June.

I kind of suspect the problem is soil temperature. But (a) you're supposed to plant peas early (?), and (b) everything else explodes in early June, so it seems like we've covered both ends of the temperature range.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks, G

[Gary Woods]

Well, it it's any help, I planted Sugar Snaps on 5/6, and the second row on

5/13.... both germinated in about 10 days and are now just thinking about climbing the baling twine macrame trellis I'm behind on stringing up (as usual). I usually plant a bit earlier, but too early just has the seed rot in the ground. They almost always germinate well here. I didn't plant snow peas this spring, though they usually do about the same a Sugar Snap peas. Perhaps too much moisture as well as too cool?

I'm zone 4/5, in the hills west of Schenectady, at 1400 feet elevation, so probably comparable to your conditions. Oh yes, clay soil in between the hunks of shale. Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

[Bill who putters]

Found this Deals with Northern NY.

Bill

..................

Group A Hardy, plant as soon as the soil dries out in the spring.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

------

VEGETABLE | HARVEST | AV PLANT DATE | ROW | SEEDS | DEPTH | IN ROW | ROWS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

------ LETTUCE 38-48 Mar 20- May 1 50 1 oz 1/4-1/2 6

14-18

ONIONS 80-90 Mar 15- May 15 50 2 lbs-300 1-2

14-18

PEAS 59-68 Mar 15- May 15 100 1.5 lbs 1-1 1/2 1-3

18-24

SPINACH 46-50 Mar 15- May 1 60 1oz 1/2-3/4 2-4

14-18

..........

Better to go here as the site is graphic.

[General Schvantzkoph]

Try starting them indoors. My technique is the following,

1) Soak the seeds in a glass of water for a day.

2) Place a wet paper towel on a plate and then put the seeds on the towel. Cover the plate with a second plate.

3) Add water to the plate once a day to keep the towel wet.

I get germination in about two days using this technique. I usually let the seeds sit on the plate for another day or two until most of the seeds look like they've sprouted. I then transplant into starter pots or directly into the ground. This technique works especially well for peas and beans. My peas are doing very well this year, I'm in Massachusetts.

[R M Watkin]

Start them off in a length of plastic gutter.

Richard M. Watkin.

[Nanzi]

Did you buy the seeds from Walmart? We had 6 of 60 seeds DH planted last year from there germinate. This is the 2nd or 3rd time Walmart seeds or plants didn't either germinate or thrive. I'm done with Walmart. We got seeds from an ag seed store this year and have a full row of them, producing already here in DE. And we've had a cold loooooonnggg spring.Phooey on Walmart!! Nan in DE

[Ernie Willson]

"DH"=??

EJ in NJ

[rossr35253]

D = your choice of Dear, Damn, Darling, Despicable, Debauched, Daft, Daffy, Dazed, Daydreaming, Dazzling, etc. H = Husband.

RR in ON

[Billy]

"DH"= Dear Husband

[Billy]

Hey, I represent that remark.

[George]

Thanks for that. It seems to be working pretty well, so far: 8 of 11 germinated. I'll stick them in the ground, and see what happens.

G