Jim, I'm sorry you had a bad experience with your Sugar Snap seeds. What's the date on you pack?

I too planted Burpee's Sugar Snap last spring. My seeds looked great and were of excellent quality. I had close to 100 percent germination rate of one pack that I pre-germinated. However, while in the soil, mice?/chipmunks?/rot? (cold soil) took their toll. But the plants that made it produced excellent peas. I learned that peas will grow only in full sun. And they like their water.....

Though they don't like to be transplanted, I read elsewhere that Lathyrus can be grown indoors (in flats? pots?) and carefully planted out. This was done to prevent mice from eating the seeds. Being closely related to sweet peas, I thought I'd pass on the idea.

I'll grow Sugar Snap again. My Burpee packs were purchased at HD.

Of the few times I've planted peas, my only success was when I presprouted them. I don't know what happened with the ones I direct seeded. They just didn't come up.

Jim (the other one)

You should contact Burpee if you suspect the seed germination was not up to par. Did you purchase direct or somewhere else?
Wet weather when planting or immediately afterward can cause a lot of problems. Seed will rot if it is too wet. That is the only problem I have ever had with pea germination. I usually buy my peas from Harris.

Here is a link that might be useful: Harris Super Sugar Snap

Count me in as another who has had problems with sugar snaps. I grow a lot of peas; soup, green shell, snow pod, and sugar snap. The germination rate is always the worst for the sugar snaps.

I suspect that this is similar to germination problems with supersweet corn. They are both bred to develop starch very slowly, and the seeds are shriveled & lack the vigor of their starchier cousins.

Since supersweet corn requires warmer soil to germinate reliably, I tried planting my sugar snaps later, when I plant my beans. The germination was much improved, and I got a good harvest - but there was a trade-off. I had more problems with PM than I did with the earlier plantings.

Sugar snaps can be very hard to save seed from, one of my biggest frustrations as a seed saver. The dry pods are very low in fiber, and offer very little protection against moisture. Rain or overhead irrigation, even small amounts, can cause the seeds to sprout or rot in the pod - even before the pod has dried completely. If summer rains are frequent or prolonged (as they often are here) the losses can be total. In contrast, my soup peas & shell peas grown for seed are usually successful.

Actually it's hard for me to see if every seed sprouts or keep any count because I plant them in a wide row and very heavily. I seldom buy less than a 1/4 lb of any pea. If you saw how the commercial guys do it you would be amazed at how heavy they plant. I have yet to try saving any pea seed. They all get eaten.

Thanks everyone

I posted earlier and it never showed up???

Anyway I bought my seeds at K mart and they were packed for 2007.

My big eye opener was that I planted them next to amish snap peas on the same day and the amish snap peas had like a 80-90% germination rate..maybe more. And my sugar snaps hardly sprouted right next to them.

The seeds from Burpee that I bought at K mart did not look good. A lot of them were really yellow.

All of my pole beans had excellent germination rates also.

So for next year I want to find a better source of super sugar snaps!

Jim

Jim, how did your Amish snap peas taste and yield?

My amish snaps had a GREAT germination rate and grew very well and produced a lot of peas.

But they are smaller podded than sugar snaps and they are more jagged and sort of harder shelled.

As far as eating goes the sugar snaps are WAY better I think and for 2008 they are all that I will grow.

The amish snap is a good plant but the eating quality I thought was really behind sugar snaps.

But that is just my opinion you might love them they grew really good.

Jim

Before a total loss of any seed, wouldn't it be worth the risk to just go ahead and pick the peas before they are fully dry and complete the drying process indoors on racks in front of fans?
That's the only way I managed to save some important pea seeds during our very unusually wet spring.
We had zero germination on a pack of Porterhouse tomato seed from Burpee, bought at a discount store.

I also heard horror sories about the Porterhouse germination, but I bought mine at WM and they germinated 4 for 4, 13 seeds per packet.

Just my 2 cents here regarding pea germination:

Pea seed has always germinated well in my gardens. The only problem was one year with me pushing the season way too much and planting shell peas in very cold soil.

Usually, our Spring weather is cool and cloudy so the soil warms very slowly. I start with snow peas rather than the higher sugar types and plant snap and shell peas a few weeks later.

Seed sources have been variable thru the years, altho' I don't think I've ever bought them from Burpee. Last year, all my pea seed was from Jordans. But, I've never noted much difference in germination rate no matter the source. I really like to grow snap peas not only because I like to eat them but because they are so much more productive than the other types.

Now, all that having been said - - you need to know that I have very, very rocky soil. My best garden soil is in a location where I've joked that I could make more money selling pea gravel than peas!!

The gravelly soil seems to allow for better emergence. I certainly wouldn't advise adding rocks to your garden soil but sand may help where cold wet clay may be impeding germination.

Steve

It was disappointing to see so few plants emerge from 4 oz. pre-germinated Sugar Snap seeds, so I'm on the hunt for better planting methods.

Reading on GW about Lathyrus (not edible but fragrant and excellent for cut flowers), I came across this advice from a breeder: **Plant the pea seeds in pots, cover w/mouse-proof screen. Let the pea plants (Lathyrus) grow large enough that the seeds no longer attract mice. Very gingerly transplant lathyrus into the ground.**

Though peas (and Lathyrus) resent being transplanted, I'm considering the transplanting approach next year, because the Sugar Snaps were so outrageously delicious, and I want a huge forest of them.

===

Lately, I planted field peas for winter cover. Covered the bed with some sort of black landscape plastic (it allows water to penetrate).

Every pea seed that was exposed on the ground (and not under cover) was gone within a week. Peeking under the covers, the now-germinated peas were left alone by marauders.

Though the covers are not mouse proof by any means, they did help in protecting the peas against predation. Also noted that temps under the covers were higher than ambient temps. The plastic covers are held down with re-bars, which prevent air from entering under the covers.

I don't know if the covers will protect the germinated pea seeds long-term. I planted very late in the season, and we now have snow and frost, so the peas may not grow into plants any time soon, if at all. But hej, the covers taught me an option with planting Sugar Snaps come spring.

Will also note that a generous amount of manure spread on the beds in the fall will increase pea yields considerably.

Hope this gives ideas for others to build on.....

I was told years ago to start my Sugar Snaps in peat pots. I use the smaller 1/4 flat type cells and plant 2 seeds/cell. I let them grow to the second sets of leaves and plant them out before the roots come out the bottom. I usually get almost 99% germination.

One year I dug out the width of the 1/4 flat and planted all 4 in a row without tearing apart the peat... best pea crop I ever had!

I have some dwarf grey sugar peas from Burpee's growing in peat pots.

They are about 3 inches tall after three weeks.

I'll let you know how they transplant.

I plan on putting them in pots.