Nitrogen-fixing bacteria for Sweet Pea seeds?

Plainfield, NJ

One of my books says you should inoculate sweet pea seeds with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. I haven't been able to find this anywhere, either locally or on the internet. Does anyone know where to obtain nitrogen-fixing bacteria? I wonder, if I can't find it, how might my sweet pea seeds fare?? I'm new to seed-starting.
thanks in advance for any advice...

Brooklyn, NY(Zone 7b)

perhaps you werebeing refered to mycorrhizal powders.. as a way of introducing bacteria which allows uptake of food.. such as nitrogen..
http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&q=mycorrhizal+fungi+products&oq=mycorrhizal&gs_rfai=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=rdaiS6j9FsX7lwfa_aTxCA&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CB4QrQQwAg
there are100's of them

Franklin, WI(Zone 5a)

I think this might be used to speed germination also? I have had good luck just soaking my sweet pea seeds in water mixed with hydrogen peroxide. 12 tbs of peroxide to 1 gallon of distilled water.

Hope this helps!

Plainfield, NJ

thanks for your replies, folks. GordonHawk, I took a quick look at mycorrhizal powders and they apparently help the roots take in what they need. But this is for seed-starting - no roots yet.

Brooklyn, NY(Zone 7b)

Yes.. I've taken to sprinkleing it on the seeds when I plant them.... when that first root emerges.. before any green is evident.. these microbes are reconstitued from their dry state.. and have a growing colony in development.. and busily set about to make a more plant friendy nutrient from odds and ends of chemicals in the soil... so the root emerges into a blooming feast... each plant desires the way particular microbes break down and reprocess this food.. so the maqny types assure there are them there that most very plant might find beneficial... when gathering a plant in the wild.. it's always good to have a measure of the wild soil with it.. just to bring along the microbes it has found helpful enough for it to be able to grow where it has been...
none of this is to say there aren't these existing microbes in the soil..already.. but having a bunch of many types there assures a plant that' getting nutrients it can use right away.. easily...

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