My seedlings are growing nicely. Now though it's time to start thinking about planting things outside! The first things to go in the ground are peas. The traditional date to plant peas here in CT is March 15th. Peas, like all legumes, cannot use the nitrogen in the soil as it is. They attract beneficial bacteria that form nodes on their roots. The bacteria converts the nitrogen in the soil into a form that the plant can take up and use. What the plants expel back into the soil is nitrogen that almost all other plants can use. That's why legumes are called natural nitrogen fixers, they add nitrogen to the soil. What you see here are the peas i'm going to plant this year, and inoculant. While there's generally enough bacteria in the soil for peas to do well, if you use an inoculant, you'll be making sure they get what they need, and you'll boost the productivity of the plant. I'll be planting shelling beans this year as well and i'll be using the inoculant for those too. Next post i'll talk about the many things you can plant outside before the frost date.