Growing Sweet Peas - Page 12

Hello, Robin...I'm very sorry for not replying sooner, the thread had slipped of the first page & didn't notice your query until now.

Anyway, If it were me, I would fill those SP containers with a 50 50 mix of John Innes No3 compost & multipurpose.

Nothing else added, just a high potash feed once a week when they're in flower.

No worries David, it's not exactly gardening weather anyway . Thanks for the advice, it's my first time growing SPs.

Hi david I just found the other pages on this site I must press reply to get to them. now that I have found it I must ask for your advice .My sweet peas are doing well and have been out in the cold frame for a while ,the roots are starting to grow out of the bottom of the loo rolls .HELP! what should I do .TA Debra

Hi, Debra - Well, as I've often said, I've never used loo rolls for growing sweet peas, but they are biodegradable so it should be okay to plant them complete...... plant & loo roll together.

Don't worry about the roots growing out of the loo rolls, they have a very vigorous root system & it's normal.

David......so pleased with my SP seedlings this year. Kept nipping off extra growth over Winter...grown in the GH, they have had no TLC, not been brought indoors once and nearly all the plants have at least three shoots from one seed...looking really good and healthy...I'm planting as companions along side pea's and beans but any spares will now be planted along side my climbers in a flower bed....when would you advise they can be planted out...

Bunny.. wrote (see)

Do you just use standard size pots David ? Don't the roots get damaged ?

Bunny - I use root-trainers as sold by Eagle Sweet peas....two seeds per pot. They are virtually a black plastic bag with holes and no, very little root disturbance.

Pleased to hear yours SPs are doing well, Zoomer.

They can be planted out any time now, just try to plan it when we get a few frost free nights.

Could I sow sweet peas directly in the ground now or should I wait a bit? Is there anything special I should do, other than following the instructions on the packet and pinching out once they've got two/three sets of leaves? Thanks in advance

I would wait for another week or so to sow your SP seeds in the open ground, but would sow them now in containers.

If sown in the open now, they will not germinate until the soil warms-up a little anyway.

Thanks!

Thanks David. Will check the weather forcast for the next week.

My second set of sweet peas are not germinating. I placed them outside and they didnt germinate, well one did. So i brought them in for more heat and for 2 weeks nothing happened. I then swapped the seeds thinking maybe they rotted or something and started again but this time indoors. One germinated and non of the other have after 3 weeks, I had no problems the first time i dont understand what im doing wrong. I have had the seeds stored in cuboard indoors since september? could this be the problem or im i doing somthing wrong germinating them. I have nicked the seeds as per my rhs book i did last time and had 90% germinating.

Any help would be appreciated.

That's disappointing for you, Cairnsie.

Normally they germinate in 7 to 21 days, the ideal germination temperature is 10/15c day & night.

Of course they won't germinate outdoors in the winter, but can be germinated indoors then transferred to a cooler location later. 

David I have my SP happily growing in a little plastic thing- when would be the best time to plant them in the ground? I'm on the south coast so usually a week or so ahead of other places.

Hi, Bev....well given this crazy weather, who can tell? Under normal circumstances they should be planted out before Easter.

They just need a few days to recoup after being transplanted, then they will cope with more or less anything.....so it's just a matter of keeping an eye on the weather forecast.

I never like to plant mine into wet soil, they will cope, but at this time of the year it should be friable.

I have planted another set think they were either getting too warm or drying out as they were on a windowsill above a radiator which was perhaps the problems. If all else fails i buy them from b&Q.

I have had 1 germinate so far. I can see b&q calling lol. Could it be too warm its 25 degrees in the room due to the sun shining through the window. I know its not the best temerature but if anything i would have thought it would have speeded up germination.

how long do dose it take to germinate  in a summer house without heat but cover by a dome (planted tens days a go) . or do i need to bring inside to get then started ? .No sign of life               thanks bob