I ordered those black plastic bags when I ordered the seeds, Ive also fetched my seed compost, so I'm all ready to go. I'll wait until about middle of October.
I've always found them very satisfactory, Yviestevie. They accommodate two seedlings adequately throughout the winter, although they do hold quite a lot of compost.
Location wise, I think you'll need to sow around the same time as me.
Here in the Midlands, temperatures towards the middle of next week are forecast to be 14c by day & 9c by night. If this holds true, I'll probably be sowing my SP seed......this is of course in a cold greenhouse (or coldframe) not indoors or in a propagator.
Anyone further north, I would be wise to sow for sure.
That's good Gg......living where you do, you could wait for a little while longer, alternatively sow them and keep them somewhere safe outdoors....be careful of mice.
SP seed sown as of this week, here in the Midlands. Germination usually takes between 7 & 21 days.....21 days being preferable as this would indicate temperatures being about right.
Hi David, I'd like to say a huge thank you for your contributions here regarding growing sweet peas. It is highly appreciated by those of us who have never grown anything from seed until very recently. For me, that was in May this year, so...THANK YOU .
Out of interest, I found an ancient seed packet a couple of weeks ago while tidying up my shed. A "free from Woman magazine" packet which contained a small envelope of mixed annuals and a small envelope of sweet pea seeds.
Now, to give you a little background info, my late grandmother lived here from 1940 until she sadly passed away, aged 98 years old, in 2004. The seed packet found in my shed was something something my Gran had bought via the "Woman" magazine...and has been lying unopened, inside a metal sweetie tin in the shed for the last 10+ years.
On asking my Mum if she knew when my Gran had got these seeds, she told me that the packet could be anything between 20 to 40 years old ! The packet, which has no date on it, is made from fairly thick paper and has photos of the contents printed on the front with a big yellow box in the centre, printed, " FREE ! with Woman ". Followed by " 20 Sweet Peas." and " 500 Mixed Annuals." printed underneath the " Free with Woman " text.
The back of the packet has growing instructions printed on it, including a list of the mixed annuals - Chrysanthemum, Candytuft, Clarkia, Convolvulus, Cornflower, Eschscholzia, Godetia, Gypsophila, Larkspur, Mignonette, Nemophila, Nigella and Virginian Stocks - as printed on the packet, with the sowing instructions for these annuals stating, "From April onwards in well raked soil, scatter them thinly on a calm day, over an area of 3 to 4 sq. yards." ( " Alternatively, sow in groups between other subjects.").
Underneath the sowing instructions, the following is printed - " SEEDS ACT - All seeds are supplied subject to the provisions of the Seeds Act with regard to purity and minimum germination requirements."
After reading somewhere here on GW, I decided to do a germination test with the sweet pea seeds...they have ALL germinated,...All 20 of them !
I'm now going to put them in deep pots of seed compost to wait and see what happens .
Posts
I've always found them very satisfactory, Yviestevie. They accommodate two seedlings adequately throughout the winter, although they do hold quite a lot of compost.
Location wise, I think you'll need to sow around the same time as me.
Here in the Midlands, temperatures towards the middle of next week are forecast to be 14c by day & 9c by night. If this holds true, I'll probably be sowing my SP seed......this is of course in a cold greenhouse (or coldframe) not indoors or in a propagator.
Anyone further north, I would be wise to sow for sure.
Hi David K - went to the gc yesterday and got J.Arthur Bowers seed sowing compost for the sowing of the sweet peas
Nearly there just to sort out the cold frame
That's good Gg......living where you do, you could wait for a little while longer, alternatively sow them and keep them somewhere safe outdoors....be careful of mice.
More like rats loads (so cute) eat of the bird feeders I put out, But my seeds will be covered with a plastic lid so should be fine
Plastic lid?......Only at night, being mindful not to generate too much daytime heat.
SP seed sown as of this week, here in the Midlands. Germination usually takes between 7 & 21 days.....21 days being preferable as this would indicate temperatures being about right.
wow they look good - are they all the same variety or different, I need to hurry up with cold frame
That's just a few in a cold greenhouse, Gg....have some others in a coldframe. They are different varieties, & have carefully labelled each one.
Hi David, I'd like to say a huge thank you for your contributions here regarding growing sweet peas. It is highly appreciated by those of us who have never grown anything from seed until very recently. For me, that was in May this year, so...THANK YOU
.
Out of interest, I found an ancient seed packet a couple of weeks ago while tidying up my shed. A "free from Woman magazine" packet which contained a small envelope of mixed annuals and a small envelope of sweet pea seeds.
Now, to give you a little background info, my late grandmother lived here from 1940 until she sadly passed away, aged 98 years old, in 2004. The seed packet found in my shed was something something my Gran had bought via the "Woman" magazine...and has been lying unopened, inside a metal sweetie tin in the shed for the last 10+ years.
On asking my Mum if she knew when my Gran had got these seeds, she told me that the packet could be anything between 20 to 40 years old ! The packet, which has no date on it, is made from fairly thick paper and has photos of the contents printed on the front with a big yellow box in the centre, printed, " FREE ! with Woman ". Followed by " 20 Sweet Peas." and " 500 Mixed Annuals." printed underneath the " Free with Woman " text.
The back of the packet has growing instructions printed on it, including a list of the mixed annuals - Chrysanthemum, Candytuft, Clarkia, Convolvulus, Cornflower, Eschscholzia, Godetia, Gypsophila, Larkspur, Mignonette, Nemophila, Nigella and Virginian Stocks - as printed on the packet, with the sowing instructions for these annuals stating, "From April onwards in well raked soil, scatter them thinly on a calm day, over an area of 3 to 4 sq. yards." ( " Alternatively, sow in groups between other subjects.").
Underneath the sowing instructions, the following is printed - " SEEDS ACT - All seeds are supplied subject to the provisions of the Seeds Act with regard to purity and minimum germination requirements."
After reading somewhere here on GW, I decided to do a germination test with the sweet pea seeds...they have ALL germinated,...All 20 of them !
I'm now going to put them in deep pots of seed compost to wait and see what happens
.