[steven c]

i wanted to share our experience several years ago i sowed 40 pea seeds into electric propagator
from these we had 8 germinate i had read  about chitting seeds i tried this with another 40 and
got 39 to germinate now we do this with all large seeds sweetcorn butt sq courgette etc it is not so
much the cost of the seed as the time wasted when most dont germinate we chit them in takeaway carton
with damp tissue in a airing cupboard type temp  I am sure many on here probably already do
similar but the difference for us has been great

[jezza]

Hello theres also stratification  that's chilling for a few months eg holly berries,lettuce seed also germinate quicker if its put in a fridge the night before sowing  sweet peas and lupins can benefit from scarification rubbing the seed with sand paper too weaken the outer coating    jezza

[bayleaf]

With peas I've found they grow better if the root with hairs on has started. You just have to take care not to damage them when potting them

[jezza]

Hello we use to sow peas in 4 foot lengths of rain guttering then make a scrape in the garden and slide the whole lot out no root disturbance    jezza

[Aidy]

I pre-chit most seeds
Leeks
Onions
Carrot (when grown)
Chilli (use tea solution weak to dampen kitchen roll)
Tomato seeds
Parsnips
Brassica
Squash
List is endless..

I once read an article from a Armish farmer regarding pre-chitting and since then used the method a lot. I never pre-chit beans as I have read they are more prone to disease.

[Subversive_plot]

Just to share a mistake I made this past week chitting pea seeds.

My usual routine is to soak them in a plastic container with a lid until they start to swell, then drain them.
They get a fresh water rinse daily after that, this usually works well for me.

This year, I thought I'd do something clever (always a danger sign). I had removed and potted up a few seeds that were growing well, nothing unusual there.  BUT... I had a container of weak liquid plant food, meant for house plants.  I thought, why not add a few drops to my next seed rinse, maybe it will boost the growth a bit?  Big mistake. I don't know if there was bacteria in with the fertilizer, or the fertilizer threw the plant (seed) metabolism off, but none of the remaining seed continued to grow. the remainders rotted, even the ones that had started to grow a root.

Lesson learned, from here on when chitting seed, I will rinse with plain water only.

[OurAllotment]

Well you learn summit new everyday, will have to give it a go.

[DD.]

Why would you want to sow peas in a heated propagator? Peas prefer the cooler weather. We often see posts about other cool weather plants going leggy in propagators or indoors, such as brassicas. Before throwing everything into a propagator, you should have regard as to the conditions the plant likes to grow in.

Bear in mind also, that to get a decent crop of peas, you need a lot of plants, around 12-15 for each foot of row.

Anyway, here's my yearly reminder of my take on pea growing:

https://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=50902.0