[Yana]

I want to sow peas to have a successive supply, but after the rain for the last few days and the cold nights, won't they rot in the soil?mimcould cover them with fleece but will that help?

[Yorkie]

They'll be fine

[davelambo]

A few rows of my peas have their heads up already..

[Benandbill]

That's very encouraging, maybe I'll get my pea net up next weekend now.  Do you put the net there for them to climb up and then put them either side or do you not put the net there til they start showing?

[Yana]

That was gonna be my question. Sow first, net second. Or net first and sow second.

[shokkyy]

I always put the netting up first because it usually takes me hours of screaming frustration to get the wretched thing untangled and firmly attached to my cane frame. The chances of me doing that without trampling on the seeds/seedlings seems remote.

I should add - I grow tall peas on 8 foot canes, so that's quite a lot of netting

[gazza975526570]

I sow them in 3/4 close rows (Like inches not feet!) - add the posts that i use to support them and then add twice around all the posts as they grow

[DD.]

If I may take the liberty:

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

[gazza975526570]

If I may take the liberty:

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

pictures speak a thousand words!! 

[Growster...]

I'm trying several batches of about 36 in paper pots this year. We lost nearly everything last year to the weevil etc, and I'm older now, and have read a few more ideas here...

Yours are great DD - I bet Mrs DD thanked you when you turned up with a lorry load and a million freezer bags...;0)

[Yana]

Last years peas was not a good crop for me........ And of those that did manage to have good pods, not many got as far as the kitchen.   :blink:
Hoping for better this year and having looked at DDs I have a lot to aspire to. Fingers crossed.
I'm trying a proper marrow fat pea this year as well as mangetout so working right across the spectrum of the pea family. Hoping for some home made mushy peas. 

[allot2learn]

We've just finished the last of last years peas out of the freezer. Must sow a couple more rows this year. 

[Salmo]

To get back to the first question. Peas do not like waterlogged cold soil. Once we get a few dry days and the soil is workable they should be fine.

A golden rule with peas is, once you have sown them do not be tempted to water again until they emerge. Many a pea crop rots because people are impatient and worry that they are too dry so give them a good soaking. If there is heavy rain soon after sowing this can have the same effect.

If the soil is very dry when you drill, open up the drill, water it, wait an hour or so, add the peas and pull dry soil over them. Tamp down gentle with the back of a rake. Do not water again until they emerge.

[DD.]

Yours are great DD - I bet Mrs DD thanked you when you turned up with a lorry load and a million freezer bags...;0)

You've made one big, incorrect assumption there.

In that all the peas made it home!