Beechgrove programme

Grajean · September 2023

When is Beechgrove actually filmed? I know scottish weather is cooler and later but I was amazed and jealous to see the sweetpeas this week! Mine finished ages ago.

Allotment Boy · September 2023

I think it's filmed mid week not sure if screening may be a week behind , but not much more if at all. Yes their season is way behind us here in the south, and much shorter.

Obelixx · September 2023

Have a look at their page on Facebook. That may give you a clue.

Sweet peas like a cooler climate - I've given up here cos of heat and drought - and need regular dead-heading to keep flowering or they'll set seed and stop.

Grajean · September 2023

Thank you

SueAtoo · September 2023

I still have sweet peas in Dorset that I just pushed seeds into the ground, probably later that usual.

Fairygirl · September 2023

It's usually filmed the week it goes out. It was shown on Wednesday last week.
Sweet peas flower until late October here. It's usually the rough weather that sees them off. Our season starts later though. Around July before they normally start to flower .
Lots of heat is no use for them, as many people are discovering, although info still tends to say full sun. Food and water, and moisture retaining soil is best, and the moisture retentive soil is the real advantage.
Most of mine are in pots because of the slugs, but the ones in the raised beds where I have more control of the conditions, do well and are easier because I don't have to water them.
Even here, I grow a lot of mine in semi shade rather than a sunnier site, so experiment next year @Grajean and ignore the packet info

tigerburnie · September 2023

To give you a clue I live approx 35 miles away as the seagull flies and I grow sweetpeas in my greenhouse.

Fairygirl · September 2023

I think you might be over thinking it @tigerburnie. They're really quite tough plants. Unless you're at some serious altitude, they should be fine outside where you are.
The main thing is to sow at the right time, with minimum extra heat, to avoid them getting weak and leggy, and then getting them outside to harden off when weather suits. A sheltered spot, and well tied in as they grow if it's windy.
I do mine around mid to end of March, indoors or in the greenhouse depending on how bad the weather is. Then they go out around mid May, into good soil with manure added when they're potted. We rarely get frosts here by that time, but they can manage light frost anyway if they're sturdy. It doesn't affect them in autumn either if they're healthy. I still have them flowering no problem when the frosts start - usually in early October. It's the wet, rough, windy weather we often get here which is a bigger problem when they go out and in autumn.
I've never had problems with their toughness. Hot dry weather is far worse for their longevity.
I rarely sow them in autumn either because spring sown ones catch up. There's the odd time it's been an advantage, but only when there's a very mild winter, and an equally mild spring, so it's never really worth the bother as it's impossible to predict that. I've been growing them for decades, and the only real changes have been in recent years.
If the weather/climate continues to change the way it has been, and we're going to get these horrible lightweight winters we've had in the last two years, it might be worth doing, but I'm not holding my breath on that one just yet

barry island · September 2023

Last week Beechgrove visited Logan botanic garden which can grow exotic plants due to the effects of the gulf stream, Gardeners world visited a similar garden in Cornwall both were very nice.

tigerburnie · September 2023

Fairygirl said:

I think you might be over thinking it @tigerburnie. They're really quite tough plants. Unless you're at some serious altitude, they should be fine outside where you are.
The main thing is to sow at the right time, with minimum extra heat, to avoid them getting weak and leggy, and then getting them outside to harden off when weather suits. A sheltered spot, and well tied in as they grow if it's windy.
I do mine around mid to end of March, indoors or in the greenhouse depending on how bad the weather is. Then they go out around mid May, into good soil with manure added when they're potted. We rarely get frosts here by that time, but they can manage light frost anyway if they're sturdy. It doesn't affect them in autumn either if they're healthy. I still have them flowering no problem when the frosts start - usually in early October. It's the wet, rough, windy weather we often get here which is a bigger problem when they go out and in autumn.
I've never had problems with their toughness. Hot dry weather is far worse for their longevity.
I rarely sow them in autumn either because spring sown ones catch up. There's the odd time it's been an advantage, but only when there's a very mild winter, and an equally mild spring, so it's never really worth the bother as it's impossible to predict that. I've been growing them for decades, and the only real changes have been in recent years.
If the weather/climate continues to change the way it has been, and we're going to get these horrible lightweight winters we've had in the last two years, it might be worth doing, but I'm not holding my breath on that one just yet

I do grow a few outside, but I grow them under glass to get a longer season, earlier flowers too, if you fast forward to 24 minutes in the video you'll see me talking about them lol
End of July - YouTube

Fairygirl · September 2023

Apologies @tigerburnie, I've just seen your reply. I'll take a wee look at your video too

I was quite surprised when you mentioned growing them in a greenhouse though. It's not something I've ever considered doing, but I only have a small g'house, and the tomatoes go in there in May, so there wouldn't be room for sweet peas!
We get so many people asking about sw. peas failing though, and it usually comes down to them being over cossetted.

Beechgrove programme

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