Ok, so these are my sweet peas this morning (excuse the mess I had to squeeze them in the garage!). My question is on pinching out, something I have never been very good at. Does it need doing now, if so where? If not when does it need doing?
Hmmmm........they don't look like yours do they David, presumably that because they germinated too quickly? Are they still worth keeping or should I bite the bullet and do a new lot with the ones you recommended (I have another hundred seeds to go at!) These I am going to plant outside as it's too late for indoors now and the greenhouse still not up. I am going to save at least half for October sowing though as I will by then have the greenhouse up!!!
Tracy.as you know I try to give as much encouragement as I can here, but I have to be honest, otherwise I'm letting people down.
Yes, they are very much worth keeping and will probably go on to make nice plants, but I can see that they are being drawn to the light and need putting somewhere cool with good all round light.
Wait until they have a couple of pairs of leaves, then nip out the tops....this will encourage them to bush out.
That's a problem at the moment with still not having my GH up I do keep turning them round. Hopefully the GH will be up this week, we were going to do it today but it has rained most of the day. Thanks again and I do appreciate your honesty, after all I am very much learning and you are the expert
Haven't done my sweetpea seeds yet, as I was going to try putting them straight outside this year. But maybe I should have done pots as its still so boggy outside.
Haven't done my sweetpea seeds yet, as I was going to try putting them straight outside this year. But maybe I should have done pots as its still so boggy outside.
Lots of time yet, Lily.....sow the seed where they are to flower as soon as the ground becomes workable.
No coddling, that's the difficult bit because that's what I'm good at!!! I'm always being told to sit down and relax instead of fussing over everything, but I like it!! I will try very hard PROMISE!
I'm glad there is still loads of time to plant outside, my to do list is growing every day!!
The biggest problem I have with sweet peas is keeping the mice off them.
The ones that germinated last October (in the seed pods) are 6 inch high, in the cold polytunnel thing. New seeds I have planted in deep roottrainers. There is one lot in the main greenhouse (frost protection) in a tray with a propagator lid and mousetraps set. One on the top shelf of the polytunnel, hoping the mice wont climb. One set in next doors conservatory (mouse free). One way or another I intend having some to plant out later on.
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Ok, so these are my sweet peas this morning (excuse the mess I had to squeeze them in the garage!). My question is on pinching out, something I have never been very good at. Does it need doing now, if so where? If not when does it need doing?
Thanks.
Looking a tad drawn tbh, Tracy.....never mind, hope you soon have your cold greenhouse.
Anyway, re pinching-out, I did these pics for illustration purposes ages ago.
Pic 1 plant before pinching, pic 2 plant after pinching & pic 3 the pinched-out tip.
Hmmmm........they don't look like yours do they David, presumably that because they germinated too quickly?
Are they still worth keeping or should I bite the bullet and do a new lot with the ones you recommended (I have another hundred seeds to go at!) These I am going to plant outside as it's too late for indoors now and the greenhouse still not up. I am going to save at least half for October sowing though as I will by then have the greenhouse up!!!
Tracy.as you know I try to give as much encouragement as I can here, but I have to be honest, otherwise I'm letting people down.
Yes, they are very much worth keeping and will probably go on to make nice plants, but I can see that they are being drawn to the light and need putting somewhere cool with good all round light.
Wait until they have a couple of pairs of leaves, then nip out the tops....this will encourage them to bush out.
That's a problem at the moment with still not having my GH up
I do keep turning them round. Hopefully the GH will be up this week, we were going to do it today but it has rained most of the day. Thanks again and I do appreciate your honesty, after all I am very much learning and you are the expert 
Haven't done my sweetpea seeds yet, as I was going to try putting them straight outside this year. But maybe I should have done pots as its still so boggy outside.
Not sure about being 'the expert'....much of what I post here is based on many years of making my own cock-ups.
Just two basic rules:
1) just the smallest amount of warmth to germinate the seed (normally the ambient temps expected in Oct)
2) definitely No Coddling.
Lots of time yet, Lily.....sow the seed where they are to flower as soon as the ground becomes workable.
They'll catch up....promise!
No coddling, that's the difficult bit because that's what I'm good at!!! I'm always being told to sit down and relax instead of fussing over everything, but I like it!! I will try very hard PROMISE!
I'm glad there is still loads of time to plant outside, my to do list is growing every day!!
The biggest problem I have with sweet peas is keeping the mice off them.
The ones that germinated last October (in the seed pods) are 6 inch high, in the cold polytunnel thing. New seeds I have planted in deep roottrainers. There is one lot in the main greenhouse (frost protection) in a tray with a propagator lid and mousetraps set. One on the top shelf of the polytunnel, hoping the mice wont climb. One set in next doors conservatory (mouse free). One way or another I intend having some to plant out later on.