I got my advice from the guy who has one of the national collections. He always sows his seeds in October in an unheated greenhouse (as do I now). I pinch out first when the plants get to roughly 4-5 inches as it encourages the plant to bush out. Over the warm winter we have just had I pinched the plants out 4 times. I'm in the South of England and yesterday I put the first plants in the ground with a good mulch.
I have sweet peas growing in loo rolls. I started them in the conservatory, and I have moved them on into the cold greenhouse.They have been in the greenhouse for a week now,and are have lots of roots appearing from the bottoms of the loo rolls and heading for the moisture in the capillary matting. I'm wondering when I can get away with planting them outside as I feel they are soon going to be to much for the loo rolls? Can they stand hard frost. Its the first time I have tried sweet peas so early in the year.
Any ideas anyone ?
I’m trying this year, but can’t find a happy medium to accommodate their temp and light requirements.
The greenhouse is bright, but even in winter during the day it will get warm in the sun, too warm for sweet pea seedlings. Whereas in the shed it will be around the ideal 5° more or less all the time. But hardly any light.
What to do? I don’t have a cold frame, and if I was to buy one, where best to situate it for sweet peas?
This is the problem with sowing so early. If you're in a warm area that doesn't get much frost or severe weather, they'd be better in sheltered spot - against a house wall or similar, with just enough cover to protect from that. What size are they?
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Dovefromabove I could try looking for some greenhouse shading material, sure.
@Fairygirl I know! Without wanting to make it a sob story, I’m really keen to try things as I want to make the garden really nice as it helps me with a grieving process. That’s why I’m always on here asking silly questions!
I actually bought a self assembled “gro-zone” greenhouse and put it up against the house wall where you said, it’s north facing, but cool, which is good for the sweet peas, which are only 1-2 inches high, no leaves yet, they’re just a stem.
It’s confusing to me, it’s like you need to have previous knowledge of things that aren’t specified on seed packets.
Not silly at all @mchua, to ask questions. However, when you say your s. peas have no leaves and are just stems, that's slightly confusing. Have you got a photo of them?
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
First year I grew sweet peas, I sowed early (Feb), thinking that I'd have stronger plants come planting out time. In the end they were weak and spindly because I couldn't manage the light/heat requirements. The best results I've had have been from ones sown outdoors later - in mid March. I sowed three in each 9cm pot then planted them in position in clumps.
I hope others will be able to help you on what to do now as I'm no expert.
I do understand wanting to sow earlier though - it's so lovely to see things germinating and growing. I've got some snowdrops and other spring bulbs now, which give me the same joy
I was responding to @mchua though - not the OP @BlueBirder - or is that what you mean? The thread itself is 6 or 7 years old The final pix in that thread are further on than mchua describes, but the initial ones are probably nearer to what she has, which is why I asked her for a pic. Sweet peas do tend to have a slightly different habit, as they emerge, from many other seeds. The first leaves appear at the top and are quite 'upright', then they open. There's one or two in that thread which are just starting to get leaves. The main problem arises with them when people cosset them too much, or sow in autumn and don't pinch them out. It's something we see every year on the forum
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
Oh dear
.....a few dubious ideas here.
I got my advice from the guy who has one of the national collections. He always sows his seeds in October in an unheated greenhouse (as do I now). I pinch out first when the plants get to roughly 4-5 inches as it encourages the plant to bush out. Over the warm winter we have just had I pinched the plants out 4 times. I'm in the South of England and yesterday I put the first plants in the ground with a good mulch.
I do this every year and have wonderful results
)
The greenhouse is bright, but even in winter during the day it will get warm in the sun, too warm for sweet pea seedlings. Whereas in the shed it will be around the ideal 5° more or less all the time. But hardly any light.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
If you're in a warm area that doesn't get much frost or severe weather, they'd be better in sheltered spot - against a house wall or similar, with just enough cover to protect from that.
What size are they?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I actually bought a self assembled “gro-zone” greenhouse and put it up against the house wall where you said, it’s north facing, but cool, which is good for the sweet peas, which are only 1-2 inches high, no leaves yet, they’re just a stem.
It’s confusing to me, it’s like you need to have previous knowledge of things that aren’t specified on seed packets.
However, when you say your s. peas have no leaves and are just stems, that's slightly confusing. Have you got a photo of them?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I hope others will be able to help you on what to do now as I'm no expert.
I do understand wanting to sow earlier though - it's so lovely to see things germinating and growing. I've got some snowdrops and other spring bulbs now, which give me the same joy
The final pix in that thread are further on than mchua describes, but the initial ones are probably nearer to what she has, which is why I asked her for a pic. Sweet peas do tend to have a slightly different habit, as they emerge, from many other seeds. The first leaves appear at the top and are quite 'upright', then they open. There's one or two in that thread which are just starting to get leaves.
The main problem arises with them when people cosset them too much, or sow in autumn and don't pinch them out. It's something we see every year on the forum
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...