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Peas not germinating?

butlerjonnybutlerjonny Posts: 23
in Fruit & veg
I sowed some greenshaft pea seeds a little over 2 weeks ago, directly in the soil. Didn’t pre-soak or anything. No sign of any shoots yet. Should I be concerned (first time aspiring pea grower), or is it common that they would take upwards of 2 weeks to appear above ground at this time of year? I haven’t taken the soil temperature but I’m guessing (hoping) that all the late frosts may just have had a delaying effect on this and they may yet appear? Or should I plant some more in modules now to be on the safe side?  I’m in Dublin. Any advice, as ever, gratefully received. Thanks
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  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Probably eaten by mice,  next year if you start them off in pots under cover in March, you’ll have nice big plants to put out that you can keep an eye on. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Chris-P-BaconChris-P-Bacon Posts: 943
    My pea germination hasn't been great too @butlerjonny
    Wasn't last year either but that may have been old seed. 
    Fresh seed this year (Meteor) in modules. Still disappointing. 
    I use a mix of peat free and peat based compost - about 50/50.
    My most recent successful variety was Ambassador. 
  • PlashingPlashing Posts: 328
    I sow mine root trainers in the greenhouse 100% germination up within just over a week, also i sowed my broad beans in root trainers they took about three weeks again  100% germination. On the subject of mice I could never understand why they will go for them when you have sown them in  a row but n ever touch them that self seeded, one year I had a full row of both peas and  broad beans that germinated over winter.
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    It's been a cold Spring, so it may take them a bit longer.  We only start our peas and beans in glass jars now (planting them in soil/compost takes too long and germination is not as reliable).

    We line the jars with damp kitchen paper towel, and insert the beans/peas between the towel and the jar.  Place on a damp north facing windowsill (not south facing or anywhere too hot), and they normally germinate within several days.  Remember to keep the towel moist.  Once they have reasonable roots, and perhaps a leaf or two, and then pot up in invididual pots.

    I have just started off another batch today, it's super-fast.

  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Place on a damp north facing window sill?? I never direct sow, mine were hardened off,and then planted out a week ago,just single small pots ,root trainers have my second sweet peas sowing. The thing about direct sowing:  old folklore,1 for the mouse,1for the crow,1to rot,1 to grow
  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,847
    I usually sow an early variety in January/February in the greenhouse in short lengths of rainwater guttering they were transplanted into the allotment on March 22nd, then sowed peas direct into the allotment on April 12th which variety I can't say as they were ones that I harvested off of a batch which were overwhelmed by hot weather a couple of years ago, at the same time I sowed Petit de Provence into guttering as a back up they both germinated at about the same time, I transplanted those this morning so I now have 3 batches growing on the allotment more than I usually grow but this weather is ideal for peas so it seems fortunate that I grew so many. The first early peas are flowering so will miss the dreaded pea moth I may have to cover the others. When sowing peas direct into the ground I don't mess about spacing them but sow them thickly (I saw a programme a couple of years ago where a chap said that he was introducing his small son into gardening and started off showing him how to space the peas out, of course the lad dropped the peas all over the trench, dads peas emerged very sparsely whereas little lad had a super showing of fresh green peas, dad says that he does the same as his son now so a case of son teaching father). When I sow peas into the ground I drench lengths of scrap wood with diluted Jeyes Fluid and space them around the pea trench so that the mice don't smell the peas I have just squirted Jeyes Fluid around the cold frame where I am growing strawberries this year in the hope that the mice don't smell the fruit.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I do the same as @Plashing .
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • cornellycornelly Posts: 970
    No worries about sowing direct to the soil, mine are up and have their twiggy sticks to climb, never soaked them, had good results for many years.
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    Peas seem to be hit and miss with germination, I have had good years and bad, this year they went into bone dry soil (unsoaked) and sulked for 3 weeks they have just come up, but germination is nearly 100% by the look of it. which is typical as I sowed them thicker than normal to make up for assumed poor germination!
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    I have  sugar Ann and Douce Provence
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