So yes, soaked the peas for just 12 hours instead of 24 hours. They look good and swollen and are starting to split (in a good way).
For the vermiculite container, used a larger indoor container whose holes on the bottom aren't too big and alternated layers of vermiculite and peas.
A bit of a late start due to a cold, rainy, cloudy spring so far. Anyway, today I started soaking the peas (100 of them, just because that sounds like a nice round number, and I plan to buy another t-post to expand the vertical section of the yard). Then tomorrow I'll put them into indoor vermiculite, multiple layers / treasure hunt -style. Then once they germinate (NOT once they pop up -- just once they have a root as seen when I'll go digging in the vermiculate), they'll go directly outside into soil. This is the approach I used last year, which worked well to avoid critters digging up / eating unsprouted seeds. -- Though a difference is this year I'm only soaking for 12 hours rather than 24 hours.
Wow, this vermiculite method for starting the peas sans peat pots, sans indoor mix seems to be great! Except when I wait too long to check on them and transplant them! The roots of this vermiculite batch were SEVERAL inches long in many cases -- some up to maybe up to 4" -- or certainly 3". So anyway, transplanted them today. These are the ones on the northmost vertical structure, immediately south of the first batch that was next to the north wall.
Between the first and second batches just about the entire north vertical structure is now occupied. So I'll start just a few more seeds in the coming days, to add a few more on another easternmost row, and to fill in some gaps.
Here's what I've done so far this year with the peas, using a new approach to thwart the birds/critters (i.e. not using the indoor peat pot method this year)...
- Soaked the pea seeds for 24 hours.
- Then, placed in vermiculite -- multiple layers, treasure hunt style.
- Within a few days, most had nice inch-long roots; so then (today) I planted them outside, directly into the soil. Didn't cover with anything other than soil. Will re-use the same vermiculite with the next batch, if this works.
So, now to see if they come up, or if the birds/critters still have a taste for sprouted pea seeds.
Based on the results, I'll start the next batch.
Planted the pea peat pots.
Sprinkled a tablespoon each of kelp meal, mrp, and azomite under each tray essentially. No alfalfa pellets added since I heard peas like to take care of their own nitrogen, thank you very much.
Also scraped/tore at the pots to give more room for the roots to come out.
Peas: Sugar Snap
Zinnias: My usual mix -- this time all from 2018-collected seeds (to start using up the older seeds)
Basil: Prospera (same as last year)
Tomato: Mortgage Lifter (my first time growing this -- from La Ferme de l'Aube), Big Tofu Plus, and Jasper
Callaloo(/amaranth): From the person at work.
Oops. Very hot, direct sun.... might not have much a fall crop of peas.
For an attempt at a fall crop. Will sow them tomorrow under the west vertical structure.
The Kentucky Wonder Wax beans sowed August 4th took (5 or 6 of them), though none of the Great Northern ones did. So anyway, all of these beans are the same kind then.
Not seeing any new flowers, so it looks like the end is near. But it was a great harvest, tons of peas.
Things are going gangbusters overall! Today's harvest:
peas (tons)
broccoli (piracicaba) (getting a basketful every week)
zucchini (5th of the year)
kale (tons)
chard (tons)
dill (a few sprigs)
basil (lots)
stevia (good amount(
carrot (a bit too early)
No idea why this year's peas are so good -- they're the same as I've grown in the past. But dang they are GOOD!
6 peat flats. Placed them all along the north side of the 3-pole vertical stretch. No innoculant, no soil amendments at all.
