So what exactly is everyone sowing at the moment against the advice on the pack?!

[Nicos]

Although they are a bit early,I think you should be fine with those if you keep them cool and light.
When you come to plant them out they'll have a wonderful root system and the birds will have problems trying to pull them up.
Try to ensure an air flow though as they may start to rot ( and don't overwater for the same reason!)

[dexterdoglancashire]

A very interesting topic everyone! Yep PW - am sitting on my hands, but looking at my packets of seeds which I have arranged in month order of planting.......ready and waiting for the weather to improve! Its been that wet that I don't think anything that was planted would even consider sprouting till much later. Dexterdog

[supersprout]

To help keep hands off the seed box for another month, try pea shoots?

• Fill a seed tray with compost
• Soak the peas overnight, or not, as you prefer.
• Put an unfeasible quantity of peas into the seed tray, 1 pea thick. They should be mostly touching, all you should see is a sea of pea with the compost showing through the gaps.
• Cover with compost (about 1 cm), water and watch them sprout 10-14 days.
• Then cut and eat! If you cut about 2" above the compost level, above a leaf joint, you'll get another crop in 7 days or so

Any peas will do for pea shoots, and they don't need full sun. Tall varieties will have more stem, short will have more leaf. The shoots taste of FRESH PEAS!

[Bex]

Apart from onions I have only planted a few seeds of a few things, nothing that I can't afford to lose. Nothing ventured and all that!

[shirlthegirl43]

Supersprout that sounds lovely!!!

Can you only eat them in salads or would they be good lightly steamed? My boys love frozen peas and this would be a great alternative as well as fun.

[supersprout]

Yes, we eat them all year in salads and stir fries/steamed. If you cook them, they disappear, so you'll have to grow more

[shirlthegirl43]

Yes, we eat them all year in salads and stir fries/steamed. If you cook them, they disappear, so you'll have to grow more

Not a problem - I seem to have loads of pea seed!! Must get them sown tomorrow. Thanks for that!!

[madderbat]

Supersprout, thank you so much. Mr MB bought a kilo of peas on Saturday, far too many for a main crop (I think). We can try this and keep him happy.

[Morty_007]

LOL, oh dear, my poor DH. Like I need anything else to plant!!

I'm going to give this a go...where do you buy a kilo of peas?! And I assume you are talking dried/seed peas and not frozen?

I probably don't need a kilo but some would be good.

Thanks, some great ideas. Enough to keep me sitting on my hands for the moment....

[dexterdoglancashire]

SS - what a super idea! Dexterdog

[Stroppy scotte]

I have just invested in a sprouting seed thing so that we can have a continuing supply. However no success at all as yet!! Have also spoken to friends who have had an equal lack of success. Wish I'd known before I bought one!!
We live and learn.

[Crazy Chickie]

Great idea for the pea shoots SSprout, am going to try them as the weather is so bad up here I won't be sowing anything for a while yet, garden looks like a swimming pool today. I do my own bean sprouts in a jar with water and muslin held over the top with an elastic band, keep them in the airing cupboard for a few days. I just use mung beans from the healthfood shop and they work out fine so long as you remember to change the water atleast once a day. Am going to try other sprouts too, I'm told chickpeas are very tastie and alfalfa are suposed to be very quick.

[Benacre]

All my Hardy Annuals are sown also another row of Broad Beans, my Shallots Garlic and onions are coming on well too.

benacre

[Earthbabe]

Morty it depends on the varieties with some things. I have broad beans garlic, japanese onion sets and lettuce in on the lottie and a reasonably regular supply of sprouted cress, mustard and alfalfa for salad/sarnies in the house. I will probably start some onion seed off in the next week or so in heat but otherwise will leave most things till Feb when I shall be starting on parsnips outdoors and chillis and things indoors.

[supersprout]

Glad if the idea of shoots appeals I have good results with sprouts in jars like CC, never got on with the 'sprouters' and eventually gave them away The key seems to be to rinse often, and keep them cool i.e. not in the airing cupboard. Fast food, luckily the family love sprouts and shoots and I can never make enough