how long ago did you plant them?
are they weeds that have germinated in your soil/compost and the peas are yet to come through. My peas took almost 2 weeks to come through and I did get surface weeds from the soil.

Thanks, Seaburngirl: I planted them in 2 containers on 6 March. I have never had such weeds in these pots before. These weeds came up in one of the pots and in the other there were none.

can you add a photo? Have you scraped back the soil to see if the peas are there. if they are in the open then I suspect you have had a mouse or vole having a feed instead. I keep finding clusters of seed in pots due to mice/squirrels taking food from the bird feeders and storing it for later. I wonder if this is what has happened to yours.

Thanks again. I'm afraid I discarded the weeds some time ago and as far as I could make out, there were no seeds left in the containers.

What a strange conundrum. I would sow some fresh new seeds. I don't know how peas can change into weeds, but since you said please, yes you can plant some new seed and ye shall certainly have peas and even hot peas 'n butter. I hope others will give peas a chance.

Quite, Bathgate! I don't know how seeds can turn into weeds either. Maybe they just grew and drowned out the peas before they were able to develop. This was new compost. I recognise these weeds as we get quite a lot of them in our grounds here. I'll certainly try to give a few more peas a chance!

I have no shortage of weeds in my garden. Seems like everything wants to turn in to weeds.

I've taken to germinating my peas & beans on damp kitchen roll indoors.

At least I then know nothing eaten them, plus with older seeds I can easily spot the duff ones. I eliminated a packet of old runner seeds using this method

I then pot on once before planting out.

But I only grow half a dozen or so plants for a tub at a time, it would be PIA if I was seeking to grow rows of them

And by coincidence my first picking Hurst Green Shaft peas are just about ready this weekend

they will have been eaten by a rodent. the weeds are co incidental. if you still have peas in the pack then sow them but cover the pots to keep them safe. most weed seeds are tiny and the peas as you know are pretty hefty seeds , not difficult to spot in the packet.

Thanks, everyone. I didn't realise mere peas would be of interest to anyone. I have added a few more to the two containers. I already have some very plump looking pods so will be blanching those soon.