Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Sweet Pea help - tangled roots

sunnysidersunnysider Posts: 15
in Problem solving
Hi everyone,

I'm growing sweet peas in toilet roll tubs standing in a plastic tray. The roots have grown out the bottom of the rolls and become a tangled looking mess.. I'm worried that when I try to take them out I'm going to damage the roots - does anybody have any advice about the best way to go about it? (this is my first time growing sweet peas, or anything at all really) Thanks!
«1

Posts

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    It can't be helped when they do that and I've never found it a problem. It's still too cold to plant them out so I would be inclined to lift them up as carefully as you can and replant into a bigger pot, loo roll and all.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • sunnysidersunnysider Posts: 15
    Lizzie27 said:
    It can't be helped when they do that and I've never found it a problem. It's still too cold to plant them out so I would be inclined to lift them up as carefully as you can and replant into a bigger pot, loo roll and all.
    Thanks for the suggestion Lizzie, and glad I'm not the only one it's happened to! :) When do you usually plant out your sweet peas? I've been hardening these off for a couple of weeks and was hoping to get them out soon. I'll be planting them into pots if that makes a difference. (I'm a renter with no real garden unfortunately!)
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    Sweet peas are tough blighters and, if hardened off, can withstand the cold nights we’re currently experiencing. I’m likely to be planting mine out tomorrow.
    Rutland, England
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Well done you, they look good, were you going to plant them out in the toilet rolls, when and where  did you sow them? Ben is correct, Monty has his out, they could have been planted a month ago in Somerset, never mind.  The ironic thing is they hate having their roots disturbed, which is why they are normally grown in something like this or deep root trainers (I can hear my mate on here who grows his in normal little pots, no problem)I would gently tease them apart now, don't cut them with scissors or anything.  Then start hardening themn off.  Put them outside all day for a few days, then leave them overnight, before planting.  They are very greedy, depending if you are putting in the ground or a pot, good compost manure ideally.  I think this is a better option than parting them, before planting, not so much of a shock.  Let us know how they get on. Next time you grow, pinch the tops off when they are this size, put those tops in water, you have another lot of free sweet peas because they will root.  I always do both an autumn sowing, and now, late for me, forgot to buy anymore.
  • sunnysidersunnysider Posts: 15
    BenCotto said:
    Sweet peas are tough blighters and, if hardened off, can withstand the cold nights we’re currently experiencing. I’m likely to be planting mine out tomorrow.
    Thanks Ben! Tonight is our coldest night for a while so I may plant mine out this weekend. Well, maybe I'll plant out half just in case haha I feel a bit precious about them because they're my first ever sweet peas.
  • sunnysidersunnysider Posts: 15
    Nanny Beach said:
    Well done you, they look good, were you going to plant them out in the toilet rolls, when and where  did you sow them? Ben is correct, Monty has his out, they could have been planted a month ago in Somerset, never mind.  The ironic thing is they hate having their roots disturbed, which is why they are normally grown in something like this or deep root trainers (I can hear my mate on here who grows his in normal little pots, no problem)I would gently tease them apart now, don't cut them with scissors or anything.  Then start hardening themn off.  Put them outside all day for a few days, then leave them overnight, before planting.  They are very greedy, depending if you are putting in the ground or a pot, good compost manure ideally.  I think this is a better option than parting them, before planting, not so much of a shock.  Let us know how they get on. Next time you grow, pinch the tops off when they are this size, put those tops in water, you have another lot of free sweet peas because they will root.  I always do both an autumn sowing, and now, late for me, forgot to buy anymore.
    Thank you! :) Yes I plan on planting the whole toilet roll, I sowed them at the end of February indoors and then once most had germinated I stuck them outside in a little zippy greenhouse. I've been leaving them outside during the day for the past couple of weeks so I think this weekend I'll leave them overnight and plant them out as you say! I'll be growing them in two large plastic pots. If they do well, I plan on trying an autumn sowing too! Thank you for the advice, I hope yours do well too! 
  • Captain_ChaosCaptain_Chaos Posts: 60
    I've grown some sweet peas in loo rolls - very similar to you. I've also been putting in the garden during the day for a week now to get some sun and strengthen the stems in the breeze. Given the advice here, I think I'll keep hardening for another week before leaving out over night. Hopefully the frost will end soon.
    Growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional.
  • sunnysidersunnysider Posts: 15
    Captain_Chaos said:
    I've grown some sweet peas in loo rolls - very similar to you. I've also been putting in the garden during the day for a week now to get some sun and strengthen the stems in the breeze. Given the advice here, I think I'll keep hardening for another week before leaving out over night. Hopefully the frost will end soon.
    Have your roots come out the bottom of the loo rolls too? I think next time I might invest in a few root trainers, save me the worry :lol: I hope the frost ends soon as well!

  • Captain_ChaosCaptain_Chaos Posts: 60
    sunnysider said:
    Captain_Chaos said:
    I've grown some sweet peas in loo rolls - very similar to you. I've also been putting in the garden during the day for a week now to get some sun and strengthen the stems in the breeze. Given the advice here, I think I'll keep hardening for another week before leaving out over night. Hopefully the frost will end soon.
    Have your roots come out the bottom of the loo rolls too? I think next time I might invest in a few root trainers, save me the worry :lol: I hope the frost ends soon as well!

    No roots showing yet, but I think yours are more advanced. I also planted the seeds quite near the top so they had room to grow down. :)
    Growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional.
  • sunnysidersunnysider Posts: 15
    Captain_Chaos said:
    No roots showing yet, but I think yours are more advanced. I also planted the seeds quite near the top so they had room to grow down. :)
    Yes I think maybe I made a mistake not filling my rolls with enough soil, most are only about 3/4 full. The roots have only gone crazy in the past few weeks, this is a photo I took at the end of March when they began their great escape:

Sign In or Register to comment.