Ah - this is the problem. Heat and moisture is a perfect set of conditions for those compost gnats. There's no advantage to using heat for sweet peas, apart from a bit of natural warmth in late winter/early spring when sowing indoors. They make better plants if they take around two or three weeks to germinate, and they need no heat to do that. This is why it's not a good time of year to sow them either, certainly not up here, or anywhere colder. Around mid March is ideal, as they germinate slowly, and are at a decent size to then go outside when the weather is more reliable. Otherwise, you just have to spend time checking them, and hoping they don't succumb to cold weather, which can happen very easily in the next couple of months, or, you have to keep them heated and pinching them out long term. If they've just germinated, you may have to do that, or else hope they continue to grow well enough in the unheated greenhouse. I'm not sure which will be better, so you may have to experiment. Not something I've ever done. If they're only an inch or two high, that's far too small to suddenly go outside, even in a greenhouse. Too much heat leads to weaker, etiolated plants, generally, and then it's hard to acclimatise them for outdoors. Lack of light here is also a problem at this time of year. In warmer parts of the country, it's easier to get them outside earlier in the year, so it's less of a problem. They're very tough and only need protection from the worst of the winter weather, but that's ok if they've been autumn sown, and are sturdy little plants already
Two leaves on any plant are only the seed leaves, so those will still need some warmth - you couldn't put them outside now if they've been inside, and are only just sprouting. Geraniums [I'm assuming they aren't pelargoniums?] and Achilleas are hardy, so would have been better sown either a bit later [or else in autumn ] without excess heat, but you'll have to keep them inside now, and then move to your heated g'house [probably] for a while before acclimatising them. If you have plenty of seed, do some more in a couple of months
Thanks so much for your advice. I've brought the sweet peas in from the unheated greenhouse house. I read recently a tip for looming after plants- "don't fuss over them". That's exactly what I DO do! 😟 Many thanks for your words of wisdom.
Please don't use these chemicals. Totally unnecessary. It's about creating the right conditions, and the timing. Photos always help too. When someone says seedlings, I'd imagine something a good inch or two, with many leaves. We're about a month later with everything here @francesmckeon21, so when seed packets say February, add a few weeks on and you'll have fewer problems altogether, especially when you need to get them outside. If money's no object, you can have heated greenhouses all winter to grow on everything, but it isn't necessary for those plants The amount of care a seedling/small plant needs depends on several factors, the most important one being - look at how the plant would normally grow in nature. Then try and replicate that, as much as is possible. Some need a period of cold, some don't, some are fussy, many aren't etc. Location and climate are the next things which help determine timing of sowing. Then the aftercare once they germinate and start growing. You need room for pricking out and growing on. I learnt the hard way, decades ago. Patience is needed, even though we get desperate to get started with sowing seed. It doesn't always pay off
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Nobody has mentioned that the culprits with fungus gnats are the little white larvae. They usually thrive in overdamp compost. Impossible to hand pick. Keeping the compost surface dry is the best cultivation-cure.
Once you have created the wrong conditions, it's difficult to correct. A sprinkling of vermiculite or pearlite might help. Or do these sound too much like chemicals? Calling a substance Hydrogen peroxide does not make it more of a chemical than calling water Hydrogen oxide.
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Nobody has mentioned that the culprits with fungus gnats are the little white larvae. They usually thrive in overdamp compost. Impossible to hand pick. Keeping the compost surface dry is the best cultivation-cure.
Once you have created the wrong conditions, it's difficult to correct. A sprinkling of vermiculite or pearlite might help. Or do these sound too much like chemicals? Calling a substance Hydrogen peroxide does not make it more of a chemical than calling water Hydrogen oxide.
You're right! 😁 Thank you. I'll put some perlite on top and get some fly straps. Everyone here, yourself and @fairygirl have been so helpful. Thank you
I was just looking through some old pix @francesmckeon21, as I knew I had some of sweet peas etc, at the 'small plant' stage. These are from early April a couple of years ago, but were sown the previous autumn [not something I often do] but the winter was mild, so they were also quite far on. If your plants aren't that sort of size by the end of the month, you wouldn't be able to start hardening them off to put in a greenhouse/cold frame. They wouldn't be ready to go outdoors for a considerable amount of time after that. I doubt that would be the case with what you've described. This is the sort of size sweet peas would usually be in mid/late April, from a sowing I would do in mid March, with no extra heat, just on the kitchen windowsill. I do 3 or 4 to a pot, then plant the whole thing out. I only occasionally divide them, but they respond to that quite well. They need good depth for the root system.
These are some Campanula rotundifolia [the Scottish bluebell] from a summer sowing about 6 or 7 years ago. A hardy perennial. This is roughly the sort of size you should be looking to have by winter, from an autumn sowing of the seeds you have. They're probably a good bit bigger and heartier than you would have with the seed of the plants you've sown, as they were sown at the optimum time of year Again, I would plant out the whole pot of those, but with many plants, you'd prick out and pot up individually, just before they got quite as big as this.
Hope that's useful for you.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I was just looking through some old pix @francesmckeon21, as I knew I had some of sweet peas etc, at the 'small plant' stage. These are from early April a couple of years ago, but were sown the previous autumn [not something I often do] but the winter was mild, so they were also quite far on. If your plants aren't that sort of size by the end of the month, you wouldn't be able to start hardening them off to put in a greenhouse/cold frame. They wouldn't be ready to go outdoors for a considerable amount of time after that. I doubt that would be the case with what you've described. This is the sort of size sweet peas would usually be in mid/late April, from a sowing I would do in mid March, with no extra heat, just on the kitchen windowsill. I do 3 or 4 to a pot, then plant the whole thing out. I only occasionally divide them, but they respond to that quite well. They need good depth for the root system.
These are some Campanula rotundifolia [the Scottish bluebell] from a summer sowing about 6 or 7 years ago. A hardy perennial. This is roughly the sort of size you should be looking to have by winter, from an autumn sowing of the seeds you have. They're probably a good bit bigger and heartier than you would have with the seed of the plants you've sown, as they were sown at the optimum time of year Again, I would plant out the whole pot of those, but with many plants, you'd prick out and pot up individually, just before they got quite as big as this.
Hope that's useful for you.
Hi @fairygirl , thank you very much for going to the trouble of sending me the photos. You are right, my sweet peas def won't be anything like the size of yours in the photo by end Jan. I'll have to rethink everything!😪 Many thanks
Just sow some more in March or thereabouts @francesmckeon21, and don't over cosset them. If you're short of seed I can send you some of the dark one I have - I have loads of them.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thank you very much, that's very kind. I do have some.more and will sow in March. Can I ask your opinion on something else? My daughter is to be married in July, 8th of July. She has ordered flowers etc but would like me to grow , from seed, some bright flowers for vases on the tables. There are a lot of tables! Have you any suggestions for seeds with will flowers at this time and which will be easy for a beginner?
I think that's quite difficult here - for July, @francesmckeon21. Perhaps something like Marigolds, or even the dahlias and rudbeckias from seed, but I think you'd need to do a fair bit of work to get them in flower by then round here. If the gods are smiling on us [aye right] you might get some sweet peas by then, but it depends on how good and warm the spring is. I sometimes have them flowering in early July, but only when the weather's really good, and/or I've done some in autumn and the winter's been kind. Are you actually in Glasgow, or further out? Easier in a more sheltered city site.
I'll tag @Lyn, who has been growing from seed successfully for decades. She might have some ideas
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I think that's quite difficult here - for July, @francesmckeon21. Perhaps something like Marigolds, or even the dahlias and rudbeckias from seed, but I think you'd need to do a fair bit of work to get them in flower by then round here. If the gods are smiling on us [aye right] you might get some sweet peas by then, but it depends on how good and warm the spring is. I sometimes have them flowering in early July, but only when the weather's really good, and/or I've done some in autumn and the winter's been kind. Are you actually in Glasgow, or further out? Easier in a more sheltered city site.
I'll tag @Lyn, who has been growing from seed successfully for decades. She might have some ideas
Thank you. I'll look into these flowers. Any advice is gratefully received. I'm in Glasgow proper 😁
Posts
Thanks very much.
We're about a month later with everything here @francesmckeon21, so when seed packets say February, add a few weeks on and you'll have fewer problems altogether, especially when you need to get them outside. If money's no object, you can have heated greenhouses all winter to grow on everything, but it isn't necessary for those plants
The amount of care a seedling/small plant needs depends on several factors, the most important one being - look at how the plant would normally grow in nature. Then try and replicate that, as much as is possible. Some need a period of cold, some don't, some are fussy, many aren't etc.
Location and climate are the next things which help determine timing of sowing. Then the aftercare once they germinate and start growing. You need room for pricking out and growing on.
I learnt the hard way, decades ago. Patience is needed, even though we get desperate to get started with sowing seed. It doesn't always pay off
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Once you have created the wrong conditions, it's difficult to correct. A sprinkling of vermiculite or pearlite might help. Or do these sound too much like chemicals? Calling a substance Hydrogen peroxide does not make it more of a chemical than calling water Hydrogen oxide.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Everyone here, yourself and @fairygirl have been so helpful.
Thank you
These are from early April a couple of years ago, but were sown the previous autumn [not something I often do] but the winter was mild, so they were also quite far on. If your plants aren't that sort of size by the end of the month, you wouldn't be able to start hardening them off to put in a greenhouse/cold frame. They wouldn't be ready to go outdoors for a considerable amount of time after that.
I doubt that would be the case with what you've described. This is the sort of size sweet peas would usually be in mid/late April, from a sowing I would do in mid March, with no extra heat, just on the kitchen windowsill. I do 3 or 4 to a pot, then plant the whole thing out. I only occasionally divide them, but they respond to that quite well. They need good depth for the root system.
These are some Campanula rotundifolia [the Scottish bluebell] from a summer sowing about 6 or 7 years ago. A hardy perennial. This is roughly the sort of size you should be looking to have by winter, from an autumn sowing of the seeds you have.
They're probably a good bit bigger and heartier than you would have with the seed of the plants you've sown, as they were sown at the optimum time of year
Again, I would plant out the whole pot of those, but with many plants, you'd prick out and pot up individually, just before they got quite as big as this.
Hope that's useful for you.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I'll have to rethink everything!😪
Many thanks
If you're short of seed I can send you some of the dark one I have - I have loads of them.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Can I ask your opinion on something else?
My daughter is to be married in July, 8th of July. She has ordered flowers etc but would like me to grow , from seed, some bright flowers for vases on the tables. There are a lot of tables! Have you any suggestions for seeds with will flowers at this time and which will be easy for a beginner?
Perhaps something like Marigolds, or even the dahlias and rudbeckias from seed, but I think you'd need to do a fair bit of work to get them in flower by then round here.
If the gods are smiling on us [aye right] you might get some sweet peas by then, but it depends on how good and warm the spring is. I sometimes have them flowering in early July, but only when the weather's really good, and/or I've done some in autumn and the winter's been kind.
Are you actually in Glasgow, or further out? Easier in a more sheltered city site.
I'll tag @Lyn, who has been growing from seed successfully for decades. She might have some ideas
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I'm in Glasgow proper 😁