Every year there are a few readers who ask me when is a good time to start sweet peas.

Always a good question, especially since I cannot remember the last time I even wrote about peas in my column. That date is buried somewhere in my records of all the columns I have written since March 17, 2004.

As for sweet peas...I have a friend who sows her seeds indoors on Valentine's Day, an apt reminder when one thinks ahead to the wonderful fragrance of freshly picked blossoms.

However, peas...whether they are the ornamental or edible variety... if started too early can be a nightmare to transplant with their vine-like growth and twining habit. Pinching each seedling back to just above its second set of leaves can help somewhat but only if the garden is ready to plant soon afterwards.

Direct seeding your peas out in the garden can be a disaster too. I notice West Coast Seeds recommends doing this with the edible peas as early as the middle of February, according to the planting guide in their 2012 seed catalogue. (They recommend indoor sowing for sweet peas from middle of February until end of April before transplanting outdoors throughout May.)

The main problem with direct seeding all varieties of peas outdoors in February anywhere outside of a Zone 9 (possibly Zone 8) garden is the elevated risk of the seeds rotting from excessive moisture. Especially if your soil is high in clay as ours is here in Black Creek.

Those of you who garden in the sandier areas in Comox, which largely falls within a Zone 8, can get away with direct seeding early. So can the gardeners who have raised beds.

The key is well-drained soil. This is paramount in order to sow pea seeds, as well as many other plant varieties that can be started early.

Good drainage eliminates the chances of seeds rotting before germination. It also helps to prevent the seedlings from succumbing to damping off...a usually deadly condition caused by a variety of fungi that thrive in overly moist soils.

As an aside, many authorities advise pre-soaking pea seeds before planting to ensure "strong germination," as one expert states. Soaking time span varies but usually for 12 hours or overnight.

To my way of thinking, there is enough rainfall in early spring to keep the soil moist enough to soften the seed coat enough to allow for the emergence of the stem. Perhaps the instructions are for gardeners who live in drier climates.

But I also question the need to pre-soak pea seeds being started indoors. Especially since following the prescribed steps for indoor seed sowing involves pre-moistening the soil in your pots before sowing your seeds.

I have never pre-soaked my pea seeds. Call it lazy or call it a crazy, busy schedule but the lack of pre-soaking my seeds...not even a five minute soak...has never impacted on my consistently good germination results.

Back to the calendar date of when to sow pea seeds...a good rule of thumb is from four to six weeks before the last frost date for indoor sowing...four weeks for direct seeding outdoors.

The last frost date in our garden in 2011 was May 1. And I highlighted May 17 in my weather records for its record low of only 1.5 degrees Celsius. In 2010, my records show we had frost on May 4 with a -0.8 degree reading. Ouch.

I was thinking of starting some of my pea seeds indoors the first week of March. Just to get a jump on the season.

Well maybe I can hang on until the second week of March...and cross my fingers we do not have a super wet April or any frost in May this year. Always a roll of the dice when it comes to the weather.

Have a question? E-mail me at duchessofdirt@telus.net or phone 250-337-8051.

Leslie Cox co-owns Growing Concern Cottage Garden in Black Creek. Her column appears every second Friday.