I'll second what little-ann has just said, which is why I haven't posted here for a bit. Thank you to David. My sweet peas have lived in a cold frame all winter and are now bushy and about a foot tall. But I haven't got round to preparing their bed as I had bronchitis and have got behind. Have recently sown some more, for continuation.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Hi, I am slightly confused. I have some super looking sweet peas in my cold frame. I will be planting out shortly but I thought I was supposed to put them straight into the ground. Am I better to put in a pot and plant the pot into the ground. Or do they go from my plastic rooters into a pot and then into the ground (without the pot). This is an extra step that I wasn't going to take. Can you help please.
You are in a little bit of a tizz! Presuming you are in the UK and these plants have been grown from autumn sown seed, it's time they were planted out now.
Being deep rooted, they will do best in deeply dug & fertilized open ground. They need to removed from their pots, retaining as much compost as possible to avoid root disturbance......this doesn't apply to biodegradable pots of course, these are planted in the ground, complete with plants.
Some people do prefer to use large pots or containers for their final planting, but this is a second best IMHO.
They will need supports of around 8 ft and some kind of wind protection in the early weeks.....oh, and keep an eye open for slugs 'n snails.
Hi David, thank you. I was confused by a Sarah Raven video that I have just seen. I have only just found this site and this specific thread. I have read back and really appreciate seeing your photos and posts. I have only ever sown SP's once before last year and they were sown indoors in Spring. Although really leggy and nothing like your photos (didn't really understand how to pinch out properly and they were far too warm inside) when I did put them outside - they did incredibly well.
I thought I had to wait until April ish for the Autumn sown ones but I will get them in asap. I think I saw that you use bone meal - is that right? I have some copper bands that I used last year. They seemed to work OK as there was little slug damage that I could see - but this years are so much bigger and stronger I am very excited about them. Will these SP's flower for as long as ones sown in Spring or should I also be sowing in Spring?
A generous handful per sq yard of blood, fish & bone meal applied at planting out time will get them off to a good start.
*Your autumn sowings should be in bud around mid-May and will flower until September.....those sown in the spring will flower from early July until the arrival of frosts.
Pottering girl this is the first time I have sown autumn ones just sow spring ones normally and I had lots of help from David K
I thought I would put them next to the spring ones to cover a fence area with gridded wire on
David K I have also sown sweet peas for a train station where I volunteer - what do you think will be the best thing to grow them up as some people can be pain and pull at things so got to think of health and safety issues
Posts
I'll second what little-ann has just said, which is why I haven't posted here for a bit. Thank you to David. My sweet peas have lived in a cold frame all winter and are now bushy and about a foot tall. But I haven't got round to preparing their bed as I had bronchitis and have got behind. Have recently sown some more, for continuation.
Hi, I am slightly confused. I have some super looking sweet peas in my cold frame. I will be planting out shortly but I thought I was supposed to put them straight into the ground. Am I better to put in a pot and plant the pot into the ground. Or do they go from my plastic rooters into a pot and then into the ground (without the pot). This is an extra step that I wasn't going to take. Can you help please.
Hi,
You are in a little bit of a tizz!
Presuming you are in the UK and these plants have been grown from autumn sown seed, it's time they were planted out now.
Being deep rooted, they will do best in deeply dug & fertilized open ground. They need to removed from their pots, retaining as much compost as possible to avoid root disturbance......this doesn't apply to biodegradable pots of course, these are planted in the ground, complete with plants.
Some people do prefer to use large pots or containers for their final planting, but this is a second best IMHO.
They will need supports of around 8 ft and some kind of wind protection in the early weeks.....oh, and keep an eye open for slugs 'n snails.
Hope that helps.
I sowed my new batch of sweet peas yesterday to go with the autumn ones - so I can have massive amount of them for cutting and bring indoors
Hi David, thank you. I was confused by a Sarah Raven video that I have just seen. I have only just found this site and this specific thread. I have read back and really appreciate seeing your photos and posts. I have only ever sown SP's once before last year and they were sown indoors in Spring. Although really leggy and nothing like your photos (didn't really understand how to pinch out properly and they were far too warm inside) when I did put them outside - they did incredibly well.
I thought I had to wait until April ish for the Autumn sown ones but I will get them in asap. I think I saw that you use bone meal - is that right? I have some copper bands that I used last year. They seemed to work OK as there was little slug damage that I could see - but this years are so much bigger and stronger I am very excited about them. Will these SP's flower for as long as ones sown in Spring or should I also be sowing in Spring?
GG, you have just answered my last question. Do you plant them alongside the autumn sown ones?
You're very welcome. pottering girl.
A generous handful per sq yard of blood, fish & bone meal applied at planting out time will get them off to a good start.
*Your autumn sowings should be in bud around mid-May and will flower until September.....those sown in the spring will flower from early July until the arrival of frosts.
*This is approximate, depending on the weather.
Pottering girl this is the first time I have sown autumn ones just sow spring ones normally and I had lots of help from David K
I thought I would put them next to the spring ones to cover a fence area with gridded wire on
David K I have also sown sweet peas for a train station where I volunteer - what do you think will be the best thing to grow them up as some people can be pain and pull at things so got to think of health and safety issues
'Health & safety issues'...... I'm a retired signalman so I do so well understand that.
Probably something like plastic covered netting, plastic covered chain link netting if the funds allow.
Thanks David K will look in to that, so ah you defiantly understand train station H&S issues
We planted bamboo and that got pulled about by kids we think, then we were told that South West Trains don't want invasive plant so had to remove it
Want to make the station smell really good and look pretty with the sweet peas also sown dwarf ones so they will be fine
Do dwarf sweet peas spread? bit like nasturtiums got to think how much space they will need