You must be doing something fundamentally wrong somewhere as peas are one of the easiest things to germinate, The commonest mistake of all is overwatering. Could that be your problem?

I presprout mine. I soak them in water that starts a little bit warmer than room temperature for a few hours (8 at most) and then place them between damp paper towels in a ziplock bag or lidded container. I plant out when the roots are about 1/4 inch long. I only plant edible podded peas which are more prone to rotting and germination issues which is why I started doing this. Once they have sprouted they seem less likely to rot. One thing I really like aboutJohnny's Seeds is that they have a germination chart that gives the optimal soil temperatures for sprouting for each kind of veggies, so if you have a soil thermometer this may help. The peas chart shows that unless the soil is at least in the mid-40's, the peas won't sprout well. When I plant mine, I push aside the soil about 1/2 inch deep and plant in a band 3 or 4 inches wide. That way if a few don't grow, it isn't a big deal. Once planted, I rarely have to water them since we get fairly regular rain. My soil is acid sandy loam generously supplemented with compost and wood ashes to bring the pH up a bit.

I thought about over watering - and it *might* be the problem. Though this year I soaked the compost and then just left it - still.......

I will try the pre-sprouting method I think - at least then I will know that the ones I've planted have germinated - if they fail after that I'll know it's a different problem.

Thanks for the tips :)

I don't pre-soak peas because I can never guarantee I will have the time or the weather to plant them out once they start to germinate. If they are left too long they will rot. I just sow them outdoors in the ground and they germinate. They are quite forgiving about temperature but germinate best with soil temp around 60f -70f ish. I water once at sowing (before I cover the seed with soil) and then leave them unless it doesn't rain for more than 2 weeks. The main problem I get is rodents eating the seed after it germinates.

60f + soil temp sounds quite high! The first earlies I sowed this spring (Twinkle) said 40f on the packet. As I said in the OP, around 5% germinated - though less than half of those are strong plants - most have tiny leaves and weak stems.

They can germinate around 40 but they will do so slowly and are therefore more likely to rot. They germinate better warmer. I start some quite early but they never come up as fast as later sowings and since they grow slower they are more prone to disease and pests. Remember the packers want to sell you some more when the first lot don't do as well as you hoped, so they will push the temperature recommendations a bit, I believe anyway. http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene9697.html

Can you show a picture of the seedlings you are unhappy with? Maybe we can spot a problem.

Well, you still haven't told us what your soil temp was when you planted them. 40F is a minimum soil temp, not the best one. In fact, it is recognized that, at that temp, they are slow to germinate, and the risk of rotting is much higher. I agree that 60-70F soil temp sounds high, just from the standpoint of practicality. It's pretty late in the season for those temps. But I guess peas planted in such warm soil may well catch up to earlier plantings. Sounds to me like you have some bad seeds or bad soil. Is this a bed where you've grown things successfully? Is it just peas that have problems in this bed, or other things as well?

I used to volunteer in a local school system, coaching teachers of all grades in horticultural projects and experiments for their classes. Growing little pots of pea vines was always on the agenda for the pre-school and kindergarteners, Steve! :-)

I'm wondering if you're burying the seeds too deeply. I'd question the quality of your potting medium and watering practices. Is the garden site well drained and porous?

I have problems with peas being swarmed by millipedes. If I plant in a new bed there is no problem but after years of growing vegies, millipede populations increase here. You may have some similar infestation. Dig down and do some forensic analysis.

I would definitely try different seeds and if they are not better, different soil.

Thanks for all the replies. Just to re-cap - I have tried many different planting mediums and sowing methods - and grow most other things successfully in my garden soil. I'm pretty certain that the problem is to do with my *care* - and after reading all the above, I think it may be an "over attention" syndrome - especially as regards watering. I'm going to try a new batch, which I will pre-soak as suggested above and then NOT WATER unless we have an exceptionally dry spell. My soil temperature is now over 50 deg F and the weeds are starting to germinate (I am in Yorkshire, UK) - I may also sow a "control pot" in seed compost and give gentle heat. Will report back on results.

That sounds like a good analysis. Good luck!

I have problems getting peas to germinate, too. I might be planting too early or when the ground is too wet. I've always heard to plant in March, but that's been cold and wet here.

Steve, I have neighbors who moved here from Yorkshire.

Ha Caryltoo - I have a SON who moved there (well - to VT) from here. Will be in Burlington in May for the "Citizenship Celebration" his boss is throwing for him. TBF - Vermont is like Yorkshire, just bigger :D

Really going to be mean to these peas this time though - maybe that's the answer ;)

Right Steve - now I know you are in Yorkshire everything looks different. I sowed my first row of peas last week under cloches and I am probably at least 200 miles South of you. I think maybe you have been sowing too early. You need to adjust recommended sowing times since you are further North. I moved down from York and found Spring a good 2 - 3 weeks earlier where I am now. And if you are up on the Moors or somewhere it may be even cooler. I do not expect this first lot to do brilliantly but I get itchy fingers on sunny days in March. My best peas will come from an early April sowing. Try Douce de Provence - those were my best last year. BTW I would not soak peas in your climate. The danger of the weather turning cold and your pre germinated seed sitting for days in cold wet soil is too great. I would also never water them except at sowing time unless we have at least 2 weeks without rain (ha ha). We have long slow cool Springs compared with most posters on this Forum. Even those who are currently still under snow will get much higher temperatures than we ever have pretty soon.

Thanks Floral - We are down in Leeds and have a well-sheltered spot - but I think you are right. I know ouur "last expected frost" date for the area is mid-may (though just here I think maybe May 1st is safe) - while a friend in Bristol says his is late March!

This last batch were in seed compost in short lengths of gutter in the cold frame - sowed late February - but they showed no sign of life until I brought them into the greenhouse and put them on a heated propagator for a few days. By then, I reckon the damage was done. I'm going to wait for this current spell of bad weather to blow over before I try again - maybe next week - and under cloches.