Autumn Growing - Peas - Backup Plans

In October I did a post about:
Autumn Growing - Peas

I sowed four rows of peas out on the allotment under fleece cloches.

It may be my background in business analysis and project management - but I am a great believer in backup plans when it comes to growing. Some of the seeds sown in the ground - whatever the conditions in the garden or allotment - may fail to germinate or grow on ......

So I  put in place my backup plan for the peas - simply sowing some in pots in the garden. I chose (mostly - didn't quite have enough) to sow them in peat pots.

This is because peas don't like having their roots disturbed when transplanted from standard pots.

These can go straight into the ground or into a larger pot.

I filled up each pot with compost up to a couple of inches below the top and firmed it down.

Then dropped a pea seed into each pot.

I added a couple of inches of compost to cover the seeds, and firmed that down.

Finally I gave the pots a bit of a water then popped the tray into a sheltered corner of the garden.

I did wonder whether to put them into the mini-greenhouse. But as the weather has been fairly mild I decided to leave them outside. The young plants will then harden off naturally and gradually. If really cold weather threatens I can always move them inside.

Three weeks on and they are now germinating. If I don't need them on the allotment - to replace any lost plants - I'll grow them in the garden in large pots.

Peas do quite well in pots and it is nice to have them growing right outside the kitchen. Food seconds rather than food miles !