Okay, a good place to start is by checking out the FAQ. It will answer a lot of your questions. You can either sow in the container, or in the ground with the container on top. Most of us use the container to sow it in. Once we sow the seeds, the container goes outside for the remainder of the time until it is time to plant out. Good luck and welcome to the forum!

gardenluv, thanks for your reply. Before posting, I read all the FAQ and searched for information on how to go about WS peas, which are notoriously difficult to transplant, but didn't find what I was looking for.

Hopefully someone will stop by and drop a line or two about her/his experiences with WS peas.

Many thanks in advance.....

Last year I made paper pots stood them up in a flat and wintersowed peas on St. Pat's day. I started them outside they don't really need warmth or codling for germination. The paper pots transplanted just fine. The only problem that I had was not planting enough, which I will remedy this year. I found a link on this forum last year showing how to make them with nice still photos, but the sight no longer exists. There are videos on Youtube that demonstrate how to make paper pots here is one that shows the type I use. The video runs a bit long, not to worry they don't take that long to make. My Daughter and I fold these out of seed catalogs, while watching movies.

MARY

I start mine in paper pots, too. I fill an under-the-bed plastic container with the pots, sow it, put the lid on and set it outside about the middle of February. The seeds germinate quickly, usually about 2 weeks, and I transplant them to the garden as soon as the ground is dry enough to work in. I transplant paper pots and all, just tearing off the top part of the pot so nothing shows above ground. This has worked really well for me. Back when I direct-sowed them, the crows pulled the seeds out of the ground as soon as they germinated. Wintersowing has fixed that problem since they don't seem to be interested in growing plants, just those appetizing seeds!

Mary and barbe, thank you for your terrific advice and for Mary's link on making paper containers! I had forgotten about newspaper containers but think it's the way to go.

Home Depot has Burpee's 4 oz "Value Pack" Sugar Snap peas for $2.87 (in case you need more seeds).

Today, Walmart had huge, clear, flat storage bins (x-mas paper/ornaments) $4, plus huge bags spagnum moss $9 (the size that's almost too heavy to lift).

So I'll be making paper pots and soilless mix and set the pots in the storage bin w/bright red lid outside (where neighbors cannot see it).

Again, many thanks for generously sharing your know-how!

ppod

To spread Mary's good idea on making paper pots, I'm linking to this grand ol' thread with Jroot's terrific pic tutorial. Scroll down to Jroot's 11/29/05 post and pics.

(Many of the links in the thread no longer work, but Jroot's pics were preserved.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Frugal Forum: Newspaper pots

I'm not too sure about the red lid on the storage container. Will it let the light through? The ones I use have a clear lid - had to look a while before I found some. You could probably cover the container with a plastic sheet if necessary, but I really believe it needs light. I just filled my paper pots today and will sow them tomorrow - 300 of them! We like peas a lot. LOL

Ppod, I have WS peas in z6, and did not use paper pots. I tended to do them on the late-ish side - large seeds can rot with too much moisture - I've had this occur with direct sowing peas, too. As far as peas being "notoriously hard to transplant", I've never had that experience. My seedlings always went into the ground just fine.

I do think, if birds are not an issue and/or you don't mind losing a few, it's just as easy to direct sow peas - although with WS them you can place the transplants exactly where you want them.

Would the first week (now) too soon to plant my seeds? (Iwill be out of time for two weeks mid-feb. My lettuces flipped over in the wind, so I am ready to turn them over, start again with a rock on top. This is my first year WS.
thanks
Maryann

When you are WSing peas do you still use an inoculant? or do sugar snaps not need that? Can you do the same for telephone peas?

Thanks, Lisa

I use inoculant when I transplant them to the garden. I wintersow all my peas- shelling peas, snap peas and pea pods. Did I mention that we really really like peas?

Barbe, Thanks. We have two feet of snow here in the metro DC, so I am sowing like mad to think spring and will start those peas! and add inoculant later....

I just direct seed them in the garden. They will know when to come up and grow. Peas can germinate quickly. You cannot keep them in pots too long. So what are you going to do if the weather stays cold for another month?
That is why direct seeding, may not give you a head start but does not need any care what so ever. This, to me, is the purpose and meaning of "Winter Sowing".