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Spacing sweet peas and cosmos

sophie.hsophie.h Posts: 19
in Plants
Hi all! 

Just looking for a little help as I have no idea what I'm doing in terms of spacing! I have planted 8 sweet pea seedlings in a pot that is about 22 inches across at the widest point and 16 inches deep. I'm just wondering if it would be mad to stick another couple of seedlings in there? I have some left over and don't want to waste them. 

Also, how many of these cosmos can I get away with putting in a 16 inch pot? I think I made a bit of a faux pas by not getting a dwarf variety. 😕 

Photos attached. Aware that the sweet peas look a bit chaotic and probably need more tying in 😂

Thanks!
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Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    You can probably stick the sweet peas in, but just be aware that they need lots of food and water, so bear that in mind. I put around 9 or ten in pots that are a bit smaller than that   :)
    I do my string around and up the canes so that they can twine around it themselves rather than having to do them individually. It all gets a bit messy later on in the year, but it's easier to manage them if you have lots of other things to see to. 
    I don't really grow cosmos, but others do so they may be able to help with those. You can pinch them out to make them bushier, which is probably better if you're putting them in a pot  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    One Cosmos would fill a pot that size but if you’re impatient like me I’d put three in the pot.  Sometimes the plants fail for no obvious reason so having others in the pot to fill the gap helps. I’d pinch the growing point out now after the third set of leaves.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • sophie.hsophie.h Posts: 19
    Great, thank you both! :) I've been wondering about adding string to my canes, so that's really helpful @Fairygirl.
  • sophie.hsophie.h Posts: 19
    Just one more question actually! Do these plants need fertilising at this point? Should I be adding something to the compost now/when I plant them, or will the compost give them enough sustenance for a while?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I've got photos of mine on the old laptop, from a few years ago @sophie.h if you're not sure how to do it, but it's fairly straightforward  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    If you have used fresh multi purpose compost @sophie.h, there should be enough nutrients in it to feed your plants for up to six weeks.  I often add some slow release general feed granules to the compost too but you can use a liquid general feed after six weeks until they look as if they are about to flower then use tomato feed which encourages further flowering.  Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for frequency and dilution.  Good luck!
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    I feed my Sweet peas heavily. They get a strong compost with plenty of muck, and are fed every week after planting out.

    Cosmos don't need much in the way of feeding, an occasional can of Tomato feed will be fine.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • sophie.hsophie.h Posts: 19
    Thanks guys! I've got some tomato feed, so that's handy.

    Aw, thank you @Fairygirl! I'd love a photo if you get the chance, but if not, I can probably figure it out by looking online. 🙂
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'll fire up the old laptop - I may be a while.... ;)
    I use a hefty mix as well for my sweet peas - it's almost impossible to over feed them in containers, but the base mix needs to be good - manure is particularly good.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    I’ve got some sweet peas growing in the ground which I prepared with a reservoir of composted manure mixed with top soil a few inches below the soil surface. Should I be feeding weekly too and if so what do you use and when do you start @punkdoc? 
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


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