Cath - sweet peas are very deep rooted and the fact yours are grown in troughs may account for the loss of lower leaves....of course the depth of the troughs will be influencing factor.
For myself, I grow them in the open ground that has been deeply dug & enriched with well rotted manure.
Thanks for your input David - your conclusion sounds correct and I guess I will just have to cope with the leaf loss as I don't have room to them plant into my, relatively small, garden. I'll just have to keep feeding and watering diligently! Cheers!
Might I ask, when you sow the seed in the autumn, do you keep them indoors through the winter? And to have them flowering so profusely now, when did you plant them out in the garden? Would they survive a late frost? I live in the West Midlands.
I usually keep them in the greenhouse or cold frame with just a little protection, though as David K says - they are hardy to -12C. In fact last in Dec 2010 the seedlings froze in greenhouse but still did very well last summer. I keep them in their pots ( one per 3 inch square pot ) until I can get to plant them out ( this year it was not until last week!), but you can plant them out anytime really. They are pretty tough!
Mine are blooming now (sown last autumn) and I look forward to many pickings, and the wonderful perfume in the house. They are planted in very deep troughs, with lots of compost added, which seems to suit them.
Can I just say by way of indicating just how hardy sweet pea seedlings are....even if they are frozen in their pots and lying prostrate, they will soon recover when temperatures move above freezing again. Just be very careful with watering during very cold snaps, they don't like their roots encased in a block of ice.
I always say the one golden rule of successful sweet pea growing is 'DON'T CODDLE'.
I will definitely try sowing some in autumn this year. I sowed 3 batches - January, February and March - no flowers yet but it at least one looks ready to start flowering so it won't be long.
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Cath - sweet peas are very deep rooted and the fact yours are grown in troughs may account for the loss of lower leaves....of course the depth of the troughs will be influencing factor.
For myself, I grow them in the open ground that has been deeply dug & enriched with well rotted manure.
Thanks for your input David - your conclusion sounds correct and I guess I will just have to cope with the leaf loss as I don't have room to them plant into my, relatively small, garden. I'll just have to keep feeding and watering diligently! Cheers!
Might I ask, when you sow the seed in the autumn, do you keep them indoors through the winter? And to have them flowering so profusely now, when did you plant them out in the garden? Would they survive a late frost? I live in the West Midlands.
I usually keep them in the greenhouse or cold frame with just a little protection, though as David K says - they are hardy to -12C. In fact last in Dec 2010 the seedlings froze in greenhouse but still did very well last summer. I keep them in their pots ( one per 3 inch square pot ) until I can get to plant them out ( this year it was not until last week!), but you can plant them out anytime really. They are pretty tough!
Cath,
That's great - and such a speedy reply! I look forward to a better show next year, then.
Mine are blooming now (sown last autumn) and I look forward to many pickings, and the wonderful perfume in the house. They are planted in very deep troughs, with lots of compost added, which seems to suit them.
Can I just say by way of indicating just how hardy sweet pea seedlings are....even if they are frozen in their pots and lying prostrate, they will soon recover when temperatures move above freezing again. Just be very careful with watering during very cold snaps, they don't like their roots encased in a block of ice.
I always say the one golden rule of successful sweet pea growing is 'DON'T CODDLE'.
I will definitely try sowing some in autumn this year. I sowed 3 batches - January, February and March - no flowers yet but it at least one looks ready to start flowering so it won't be long.
This is a vase of picotees, cut during last week's warm weather.