thanks david, i think i will try a basket , see how it goes, think i will try cupani ( normal. tall ones ) too, as i have read how fragrant they are, the last 3 years i sowed my spring sp's early march, this year i think the next nice day i will sow some, hope to get earlier flowers, i already have 8 decent seedling s from autumn, i left them out in plastic east facing g'house with broken zip all winter and occasionally watered, they are certainly ok and didn't take lots of looking after as i worried they would! Sorry i am asking you to repeat yourself david, i plan to sow and keep inside til they germinate then put out into g'house or makeshift 'coldframe' then after 2-3 weeks leave out the whole time, then plant out april ish? does that sound ok?
Yes, that would work okay, rm.....but at this time of year you'll be gaining very little in terms of early flowers. If you wait another couple of weeks you could sow the seed in situ and save some of your valuable time.
A beginner, I planted some seeds indoors a couple of weeks ago, without realising the importance of direct light. I put them in a cold frame yesterday, but will they recover? Some of them had reached about 6 inches tall.
Should I just start afresh with new seeds? Thanks in advance.
I brought John Innes seed sowing compost last year to put my sweet pea seeds in but never got round to sowing them in the autumn. Would I be alright planting the sweet peas into John Innes Seed compost now to grow them?, and will they be alright in there until I plant them out? I am going to grow them using the Cordon method
Mark - using old compost isn't some I have ever done, so couldn't really say what success you would have. Having said that, it's a fact that the sweet pea seed need very little other than moisture and a growing medium from the compost....all the seeds nutritional requirements are within the seed itself.
Good luck with the 'cordon method', it's quite labour intensive.
Anyone wanting to give David a rest should check out or even join The National Sweet Pea Society where hundreds of experts ply their skills.
Lots of advice not just for exhibition cordon stuff, but also for the everyday novice.
I have been a member since 1972 and was showing at National Level up to 2007 then my ground got a fungus problem and the RHS who tested the soil informed me not to grow on the site for at least 17 years.
I also have some cultivars in commerce that I raised myself and sold the rights on to Kertons Sweet Peas in Somerset
Posts
thanks david, i think i will try a basket , see how it goes, think i will try cupani ( normal. tall ones ) too, as i have read how fragrant they are, the last 3 years i sowed my spring sp's early march, this year i think the next nice day i will sow some, hope to get earlier flowers, i already have 8 decent seedling s from autumn, i left them out in plastic east facing g'house with broken zip all winter and occasionally watered, they are certainly ok and didn't take lots of looking after as i worried they would! Sorry i am asking you to repeat yourself david, i plan to sow and keep inside til they germinate then put out into g'house or makeshift 'coldframe' then after 2-3 weeks leave out the whole time, then plant out april ish? does that sound ok?
Yes, that would work okay, rm.....but at this time of year you'll be gaining very little in terms of early flowers. If you wait another couple of weeks you could sow the seed in situ and save some of your valuable time.
Is there any hope for etiolated sweet peas?
A beginner, I planted some seeds indoors a couple of weeks ago, without realising the importance of direct light. I put them in a cold frame yesterday, but will they recover? Some of them had reached about 6 inches tall.
Should I just start afresh with new seeds? Thanks in advance.
Hi, Tesni
I think probably warmth rather than light was the problem. Pinch out the growing tips and they'll probably be okay.
Thank you so much David! Yes,it could well have been the warmth from the radiators that was the problem.
You're welcome.
'Etiolated'....nice word and one that could have a future within this thread.
I brought John Innes seed sowing compost last year to put my sweet pea seeds in but never got round to sowing them in the autumn. Would I be alright planting the sweet peas into John Innes Seed compost now to grow them?, and will they be alright in there until I plant them out?
I am going to grow them using the Cordon method 
Mark - using old compost isn't some I have ever done, so couldn't really say what success you would have. Having said that, it's a fact that the sweet pea seed need very little other than moisture and a growing medium from the compost....all the seeds nutritional requirements are within the seed itself.
Good luck with the 'cordon method', it's quite labour intensive.
I now have Turquoise Lagoon sweet peas free with Garden Answers until Thursday they change colour and have nice fragrant
Anyone wanting to give David a rest should check out or even join The National Sweet Pea Society where hundreds of experts ply their skills.
Lots of advice not just for exhibition cordon stuff, but also for the everyday novice.
I have been a member since 1972 and was showing at National Level up to 2007 then my ground got a fungus problem and the RHS who tested the soil informed me not to grow on the site for at least 17 years.
I also have some cultivars in commerce that I raised myself and sold the rights on to Kertons Sweet Peas in Somerset