Growing Sugar Snap Peas

I plan to grow these for the first time ever. I am trying to pre sprout by soaking in a cup of water placed on top of my water heater for added bottom heat. Question: How long do I leave them in the water? Over night, till they sprout, or what? Any help would be great. Thanks!!

Overnight, drain and then rinse them daily. Make sure they aren't too warm on the heater. Plant them as soon as you see root sprout.

Right now the water temp. of the peas is running 80 to 83 degrees on top of the water heater. Is that too hot?

I pre-sprouted some peas for the first time this year, using a method someone else on here posted. I soaked a paper towel and wrung it out, folded it around the pea seeds, then placed the whole thing into a ziploc bag and closed it up. I placed the bag on top of my fridge, out of the way, and checked on it a few days later. All the pea seeds had sprouted a root. I planted the ones I had room for; it took over a week for them all to start showing up but they did all show.

A week later I remembered I hadn't used all the peas I'd pre-sprouted and checked out the baggie again. The remaining ones had lots of roots now and long skinny sprouts (searching for sun). I planted those in yogurt cups and stuck them outside. They are all happy now too and ahead of the ones I planted with just the roots sprouted, since they had that extra week inside where it's much warmer.

gwennifer wrote:I pre-sprouted some peas for the first time this year, using a method someone else on here posted.  I soaked a paper towel and wrung it out, folded it around the pea seeds, then placed the whole thing into a ziploc bag and closed it up.  I placed the bag on top of my fridge, out of the way, and checked on it a few days later.  All the pea seeds had sprouted a root.  I planted the ones I had room for; it took over a week for them all to start showing up but they did all show.  

A week later I remembered I hadn't used all the peas I'd pre-sprouted and checked out the baggie again.  The remaining ones had lots of roots now and long skinny sprouts (searching for sun).  I planted those in yogurt cups and stuck them outside.  They are all happy now too and ahead of the ones I planted with just the roots sprouted, since they had that extra week inside where it's much warmer.

I used the paper towel in baggie  method for Tomato seed with good results, I thought this might be a better method given how large to pea seeds are, also I can see them with out having to unwrap them to check to see if they have sprouted yet.

Hi,  I sprout mine on a moist paper towel in a bag so I can just look at the bag to see if they are sprouted. I don't roll them up.

Very nice, thanks. I might give that a go next batch and compare the 2 methods ..... I need to start a running logbook to keep a track on what works best for different things!

68carguy wrote:Right now the water temp. of the peas is running 80 to 83 degrees on top of the water heater. Is that too hot?

Yes, too hot. I just soak mine in a glass jar on the kitchen counter. The next day I drain them, then rinse them once or twice day day until they start sprouting. Once I see the root sprout I plant them in the garden.

I don't bother fooling around with paper towel when planting peas because the seeds are large and easy to handle.

These went a day too long before planting.

Oh oh!! What should it be room temp., like 70 ish or something?? 

Oh okay I understand now that you re-edited, just room temp. Does it take as long as listed in the pack...7 to 10 days?

68carguy wrote:Oh okay I understand now that you re-edited, just room temp. Does it take as long as listed in the pack...7 to 10 days?

Not usually that long to sprout. After planting it takes several more days for the plants to emerge from the soil.

camprn wrote:

68carguy wrote:Oh okay I understand now that you re-edited, just room temp. Does it take as long as listed in the pack...7 to 10 days?

Not usually that long to sprout. After planting it takes several more days for the plants to emerge from the soil.

  
Thanks Camp!! I think I am headed in the right direction now......

Camp, It looks like you plant more than 8 per square, more like 18?

sanderson wrote:Camp,  It looks like you plant more than 8 per square, more like 18?

yup, that's a fact. The rationale is that some plants will collapse for various reasons and also the amount of growing area will in fact support a lot more plants than 9 per square.

Okay its been 6 days now and my peas still have not sprouted. They are now starting to give off a not so nice smell. Wonder what went wrong?

68carguy wrote:Okay its been 6 days now and my peas still have not sprouted. They are now starting to give off a not so nice smell. Wonder what went wrong?

bad seeds? If they haven't sprouted and are rotting toss them in the compost pile. Did you rinse and empty the water from the jar each day? Not sure what the problem is.

I soaked my seeds last week. I planted sprouted seeds 3 days ago.

Yes emptied the water, rinshed, added fresh water each day. Looks as if they will be no peas this Spring, it is getting late in the season for them here now. I was looking forward to these also, I had never grown them before.. 

Go get some more seeds. Soak them overnight then plant them. Maybe they cooked on the heater.?.  

I presoak my sugar snap peas about 24 hours only and never have let them sprout.  I place them in a dish of warm water on the counter and sow them the next day.
First I make sure that my soil is warm enuf.  Peas like soil temps between 40*F and 70*F for growing.  I checked mine today and it was 40* at 4" deep on a rather chilly day so the soil was warmer less deep.
Our days are now on the upswing and tomorrow should be in the 50sF so I'll poke holes about an inch deep and cover the seed with a bit of inoculant before covering them over. 
I'll have at least 2 more trellises for peas ready in the next couple of weeks so I can sow them every 10 days for a staggered bounty.

I just poked my peas straight into the ground with a little of that nitrobacter sprinkles (to jumpstart their nitrogen-fixing), back in the middle of January.  They sprouted (above soil surface) in two weeks, and have been going bonkers.

They are a cooler weather plant, but they like a LITTLE warmth to get started.  Room temp is good, but I think hitting 80degF for germinating seeds is probably a bit much.

I direct sow my peas as well without soaking or anything else.  With the crazy spring NO. VA has had this year, I don't believe you are too late at all.  Get some more seed, soak overnight if you want and put those puppies in some MM.  Just make sure you keep them watered or rained on until they sprout.  FYI I plant 1/3 more seeds than I expect to need as they don't all germinate.   I know that is what you were trying to avoid with pre-sprouting, but go for it in the garden.

Kay

68carguy wrote:Yes emptied the water, rinshed, added fresh water each day. Looks as if they will be no peas this Spring, it is getting late in the season for them here now. I was looking forward to these also, I had never grown them before.. 

when sprouting seeds you only leave them to soak in water the first 8 hours or so. After that you drain the water, rinse the seeds in fresh water, drain the water and let them sit without water. you do this twice a day, not allowing them to sit in any water.  Did you keep them in fresh water the whole time? If so, that's a problem...

I'm a stick them in the MM with no fuss kind of gal myself.

Yeah think I soaked them too long. Old peas thrown in the compost, new ones soaked overnite and planted in the ground this afternoom. I will water them daily until they hopefully come thru the soil. Thanks all for your help.