I bought some AW peas and the store said I did not need an inoculant and they had never heard of anyone using an inoculant with peas. All the seed websites and other info I can find says it is needed. Anybody know for sure? I don' t want to plant them and not have them grow. I am in Central KY if that makes any difference. They said nothing about them being pre inoculated either.

Thanks,
Strutter

Strutter -

They will grow, if the right bacteria is not present in the soil (this is what the innoculant is) - then the peas will be restricited to the rediual Nitrogen in the soil, and will not be able to fix atmospheric N for their own use. This isn' t a problem if the soil is good, and has a decent amount of Nitrogen.

Here' s a few links about pea innoculants:

http://www.filareefarm.com/fert.html
http://www.mrs.umn.edu/pyg/tips/vege.../tip_815.shtml
http://www.promarkseed.com/general.html#seedtreatment
http://csf.colorado.edu/archive/2002.../msg04442.html

I agree with Farm hunter about the need for innoculants. The last link talks about mixed innoculants " garden mixtures" working to some extent on peas.

Dan O.

I don' t have any experience with peas but have planted clover both with and without innoculant. From what I' ve seen the innoculated clover did far better than the clover without it. As cheap as the innoculant is I would definately use it.

The problem I had with Austrian Winter Peas was that when they got up about 3 or so inches tall the deer ate them off and they didn' t resprout and keep growing.

Far as I know these peas have not been pre inoculated. If they have though, and I put more inoculant on them will it do any harm?

Thanks for your help,
Strutter

Strutter -

I have no experience with AWP but the soybeans I just planted do not come pre-inoculated - in fact the paperwork I got with the inoculant said, the inoculant was only active 24 hours after mixing with the seed. I would imagine Austrian Winter Peas do not come pre-inoculated either.

If this is a planting you plan to keep doing year to year - I would definitely inoculate - I would also inoculate if I had reason to suspect that the soil was loe in Nitrogen (low, weed growth - especially if lower than observed averages for other areas) -...... Otherwise - if I was planting a small area, in the fall with the hope of attracting a few deer - I would not inoculate.

Thanks farm hunter. It' s just a food plot for the deer. Around an acre in a bottom that I cleared out. It was just a big nasty briar patch. The soil looks good but I have not tested that area before. I' ll try the peas and see what happens.

Thanks,
Strutter