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Sweet Pea germination
Eynsham Red
Posts: 55
in Talkback
Can any one advise me how long it will take for October sown sweet peas to germinate please? They are kept in an unheated greenhouse.
Many thanks.
0
Posts
Well, mine were germinating in the pods on the vine. I gently transplanted them into root trainers.
Bought seed which was dry, should germinate in a couple of weeks( if the mice don't eat them)
Might take a little while ER unless they get a bit of heat, so it'll depend on what the weather is in the coming weeks. I've never done them at this time of year but I'm sure others will have done and can give you a better idea.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
did mine about 4 weeks ago and they took about a week, started in GH then into coldframe.
They don't need heat
Most definitely!
Sweet pea seed takes between 7 & 21 days to germinate, depending on the soil/compost temperature. 21 days is much better than 7 as it indicates that they are not too warm.
Too warm = leggy seedlings.
http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/the-potting-shed/growing-sweet-peas/6143.html
They dont take long and I plant them in in the card board toilet rolls as this protects the roots and you can transfer them straight into the planting site and the cardboard justs rots.I was advised to plant in oct which is best but this time because of the heavy rain last year ,I might delay untill spring.
7-14 days usually for germination.
I always put mine a piece of damp kitchen roll 24 hours before planting,suggested by the late Geoff Hamilton,seems to speed things up a bit.
Thanks for everyone's replies.
The first batch I planted "Heirloom" in mid October in tubes in the greenhouse have done nothing at all yet. I planted a batch of "Fragrantissima" about three weeks later and half have sprouted.
Is it worthwhile leaving the first batch to see if they do anything or are they a lost cause?
To take any mystery out of this SP germination business. The ideal germination temperature is about 10C (50F) or slightly more. Given this, they should germinate in 10 to 21 days...i.e. any warmer they will be sooner, any colder they will take longer or they may even rot.
This is the ambient temperatures expected in October, that's why it's the preferred time to sow, but it's only a rough guide and account must be taken of the prevailing weather
It's important not to germinate them too quickly (certainly no propagators) or they will just be drawn, weak & straggly.
Eynsham Red - I would suggest you have a little poke around (careful not to break-off any tiny shoots) and if there is any sign of young shoots, bring them indoors for a short spell.....it's far too cold now to germinate naturally.
Hope that helps.