Sweetpeas

denise butcher

I am determined to succeed but never do...Please tell me how to grow sweetpeas 

Mary370

I always soak the seeds in water for 24 hours before planting in multipurpose compost which has been thoroughly soaked and let drain.  I use empty milk cartons as opposed to a seed tray or small pots......I place the cartons on the patio where they get a lot of daylight.  They usually germinate and grow a few inches before they need further watering. .....then I plant out in the garden.

stuart.dot

They have to be among the easiest seeds to germinate. I put mine between wet sheets of kitchen roll in a sealed food bag. No soaking, no nipping. 100% success on a 50p pack of Wilko. Now what to do with all these healthy seedlings? Charity shop probably

Bagpuss57

Hi Denise, I'm with you when you say you've not been successful with sweet peas. Up until last year I'd never been successful.  This year I also decided to try again and this time used toilet tubes as they provide a good root run and left them on my sunny windowsill until I saw them germinate with little shoots then put them in the cold frame. They did take a bit of time to germinate compared to things like cosmos but I have lots of sweet peas this year now all growing healthy. The trick now is to keep them alive and away from slugs and snails. 
Always try to use fresh seeds. I've used last year's pack and have had some success but more have germinated from the fresh stock of seeds. I hope you are successful as there is nothing better than the scent and colour of sweet peas. You'll have to get them done soon though! 

Joyce Goldenlily

If you are sowing them in the garden rather than indoors you may be losing them to mice who just love them. They will eat the seed before they have time to sprout. I cannot grow any peas, beans, sweet peas etc., in the garden because of the abundance of field mice, voles and shrews.

The sweet pea seeds will also rot off quite quickly if they are kept too damp when sown. Good luck.

Rob Lockwood

Hi Denise - what problems have you had?  Never had any probs with sweet peas!  

So that's: planting either in Nov or now, in roottrainers, one seed per trainer, keeping them in an unheated greenhouse, watering every so often.  I'll plant out when they look strong enough to fight off the beasties after slowly acclimatising them to wind and temperature variation by leaving them out during the day for a couple of weeks. They're not world-beaters but there's a good vase full every other day for months.  It's an urban garden so we haven't got the pest issues Joyce has!

Valley Gardener

Mine are up to 4" now,when can I put them out in the garden?

JoeX

Cagzo said:

Mine are up to 4" now,when can I put them out in the garden?

How long since you sowed them?

Mine went into a mini greenhouse three weeks ago, no sign of life yet

Mary370

Mine were planted 18/3 and are only just beginning to show ......very slow to germinate 

Valley Gardener

My first lot took ages,and didn't seem very healthy,so I decided to start again.I planted these about 3 weeks ago and they have come up much quicker than expected,same seed called Midnight.I've pinched out the tops once.
I think maybe the sun has been a bit warmer on the window sill for the second lot. I don't want them too tangled hence wondering when I can unravel them and plant out??

stuart.dot

I think they need indoor temperatures to germinate but, from then on, they'll cope with anything outdoors (apart from mice). I had some that survived frozen solid compost during the cold spell