"Modules" are just the black or brown plastic 6 pack or 4 packs also called cell packs like you buy plants in from any nursery. They are readily available anywhere seed starting supplies are sold - even Walmart. Peat pots is what I was thinking of using because it just lessens the possibility of transplant shock. The company claims that but there is no proof of it. And since you have to tear the pots off anyway the odds of it being true are slim. Size of container used - whatever type - varies from vegetable to vegetable. And most have to be transplanted at least once anyway to a larger container - which is one reason why most germinate their seeds in the small plastic cell packs and then transplant them to larger containers after germination. Beans, corn, okra, and peas wouldn't all be started or transplanted at the same time anyway so you might as well use plastic that can be re-used. And they all germinate and grow so fast that they will quickly outgrow any germinating container which means they would have to be transplanted at least 2x. Which is why direct seeding them is the best way to go. Dave

The problem isn't fertility or lack or such. It really isn't even water, though clay complicates existing water issues. It is the tilth of the soil. Plant roots cannot and do not grow well in dense, compacted clay soil that we gardeners often refer to as "tight" soil. Plant roots prefer loose, fluffy soil that allows free movement of both the water and the roots. In wet weather, tight clay soils just change from dry concrete to wet concrete, so the roots still struggle. In the same wet weather, soil that has good tilth and texture, often referred to by gardeners as light, loose or fluffy soils, turns moist but allows good drainage. Peas and beans tolerate wet weather a lot better if the soil is loose and fluffy instead of tight. With beans and peas, soil tilth is more important than soil fertility to a certain extent (okay, to a large extent). The ability of all legumes to fix nitrogen, whether inoculated or not, basically ensures they can grow even in low-fertility soil, but the lack of good tilth can stop them in their tracks. Your experience, as described in your post, supports what I'm saying. Where did you have the best results? In the loose, fluffy soil. I rest my case. : ) One of the best ways to improve that soil is to let the bean and pea plants stay where they grew. If you want to cut off the tops, do so, then lay them on the ground and let them decompose right there. They'll improve the soil as they decompose, and the plant roots left underground will do the same thing as they decompose underground. Legume plants only really improve the soil if allowed to stay there in/on the soil and decompose. Otherwise the improved nitrogen levels are tied up in the plant matter and leave the soil when you remove the plants. I usually don't pull out bean and pea plants in the back garden and lug them off to the compost pile, unless they are diseased and I want to get those diseased plants outta there ASAP. I just leave them out there to decompose and fix the soil. Sometimes it just requires patience. I don't know that I can say that there was a certain year when a light bulb went off in my head and I knew I finally had improved the soil enough that virtually anything I planted in it would grow. Likely it was around 2004. So, it took me 5 years to feel like I'd improved its tilth enough to make a significant difference. It then took another 5 years of constant improvement for me to really, truly feel like the clay I'd been amending for 10 years finally was good enough. Now, when I plant this spring's garden, it will be mostly into soil (at least in the front garden) that has been amended since 1999. That soil is as close to perfect as it ever will get, but it is far from perfect. It is just that, in our climate where heat eats up organic matter, it is hard just to keep the level of organic matter level, much less, constantly improving. My bean yields these last few years have been incredibly high compared to what they were the first few years. As the soil got looser and fluffier, the crops performed better. The same thing will happen for you. Dawn

My home canned are firm Rodney! Break down and buy a pressure canner! LOL I have three! Look around some thrift stores, going out of businesses stores, and yard sales and you may find one cheap. I bought my big and medium sized cookers over 30 years ago at a going out of businesses store sale at 10% of the regular price, I think it was around $25 for both but $25 was like $100 or more today! My wife likes to go to yard sales and she makes me go with her in case she needs my truck, she won't drive it. I see them all of the time, cheap! I have thought about buying them and reselling them many times. A lot of people buy them, then they end up not using them because they are afraid of them and/or decided home canning is too hard or not worth it! Wrong!

Keen, the shade for peas makes sense! The Sweet Peas (ornamental) volunteer every year along the fence line but only where there is dappled shade. Next year I'll try them on the other chain linked fence along the drip line of the trees. (about 4 yards away from the others lol). We have been very rainy and cloudy for days with the sun peeking out only a few hours every now and then. All the peas, even the wind burnt ones, are taking off. You're right. They need that shade. I didn't realize it until you wrote about it. And it just hit me. I notice the Sweet Peas are not as numerous this year. Last year I cut back the trees along the outside of that fence. I exposed more sun! I've had excellent luck with the mold in my yard. I adore seeing the mushrooms come up. I kick them with intent of spreading the spores. I've had good luck using hay as mulch. A deep heavy mold begins growing if there is enough water. One year I found morels growing in the garden. At the time I didn't really know what they were! So, I've had many different types of mold growing. I have clay but it is heavy, but dark brown rich with natural organic matter - until I begin gardening. I try not to disturb it any more than I need. So, the leaves were awesome, but what really struck me was how fast it worked, like you mention. I've done many things over the last three years to soften that clay up, but nothing works that fast. Keeping the leaves moist as if a pile of snow were sitting atop is certainly the key. We've mostly been in drought and even last winter wasn't really a winter at all. I was using the leaves as mulch because I didn't have any hay pn hand. I had hand tilled the bed last fall. I scratched the leaves into the soil so they wouldn't blow away. I watered. And watered. Because we "were" in that drought. It was awful to be watering an empty garden in the middle of winter, but I wanted to help that soil along and bring in the bugs to make my plants happy. Boy, did it ever turn out great! I have a mandella garden split in 4 quarters. Only one of them has the leaves. The difference between them is huge. I will continue piling leaves on! We have had a glorious 5-1/2" of rain over the last two weeks or so. I lost half my potatoes, but it's worth it. thanks bon