Sweet Peas

Hi All. For the last 3 years we have planted around 60 Spencer + 2 packets of sweet peas for the hanging baskets in the greenhouse. This is done around October and once they are growing they are put into a cold frame. By the time we go to plant them the roots are well over 12" (30cm) long. One container with Spencer`s are in the corner facing east east south and they grow to about 6 feet. The second pot is facing west west north and is much smaller.

To the point!! Normally we get about 75% germination. We planted using the same routine as above but only about 15 Spencer’s and 5 hanging basket have germinated this year. We thought perhaps you can only use collected seeds every year for so long so I ordered 2 packets from Suttons of basket sweet peas and 1 of the normal variety but not Spencer. It so happened Amateur Gardening also had a free packet of sweet peas.

So into greenhouse 4 more packets of sweet peas. This must have been about 5 weeks ago and not had even one germinate!! Cannot understand this so will be interested if anyone has had similar results. Perhaps a bad year for sweet peas, who knows.

 

I sow my SPs indoors , no problems with germination on SP Charlies angel . Is some varmint pinching the seeds?

 

It was around that time that I planted mine: 1x Spencer variety + 2 other varieties. Two lots have germinated (indoors in a "Sprouting Seed" contraption - the ones you use to make small sprouting seeds for salads) and one failed miserably! Two weeks ago I potted on the good ones and popped them outside on the advice that they need "Light & Cold". My seeds came from a specialist nursery so I had great expectations. Although I'm disappointed one lot didn't give me a good result, I am happy that the other two did.
Last year I used seeds from either Suttons or T&M (not entirely sure which now) and had a very poor result.
Never heard that you should only collect seed for so long

So sorry to read about your disappointment.

 

Hi Trogre,

Nice to hear from you again

I planted mine using the plastic pint pot method ( 6 to a pot ) on Saturday last week, by Sunday this week ( 8 days later ) they had all germinated bar 1, now that one is starting also.

I've kept them in an unheated bedroom. They're a mixture of companies but i find that Johnsons are the best. They do a good range including the oldest Sweet Pea available, a gorgeous deep purple/maroon called " Cupani ".

 

I've not started mine off yet this year....I have a lot to do at the weekend, I'm going to be superwoman?! , I know many of my friends soak their sweetpeas in water overnight before sowing them! They all tell me they get better results that way

 

Hi Beckie,

I always soak mine as well, I find it can knock days off the time it takes for them to germinate as you're not waiting for them to take in moisture.

 

Bit late for SP's Beckie , they are always my first sowing first week in Feb - using the plastic pint pot - 3 to a pot . I soak mine in weak cold tea overnight , I don't have a scoobies if this gives any advantage but I always get 90-100% germination on SPs . Growing Charlies Angels again , a superb Sweet Pea

 

Hi trogre,

Could mice have got in and eaten the seeds?

Rusty

 

No disturbance on surface of compost so I am presuming no mice or other iggies have eaten the seeds.
Last year we done an experiment,some were soaked overnight ,some chipped and others just planted. To be honest did not see any difference really in the time it took to germinate and once they had broke surface all of them were away.
If chipping or soaking them speed up germinating by a few days then to me planting them in October a few days longer in germinating makes no difference. On the other hand planting them in spring soaking or chipping may make all the difference.
This year as the experiment was inconclusive at least to me we just planted seeds straight in the soil. Perhaps this made all the difference so next year back to soaking or chipping.
Looks like we will for this year be buying sweet pea plants.

 

I started some off a few weeks ago, not sure what they were though and took a while to germinate.. Is it really too late to start some more off, just I have some Royal red, blue and pink seeds?

@Anthony Rogers I grew some Cupani last year, they smell wonderful and the 2 tones of purple is really pretty

 

I'm going to direct sow some Giant waved Spencer mix and a beautiful variety called "Beaujolais" and @Anthony Rogers no cheeky comments about wine ....over the weekend as its always too cold here to sow outside any earlier.... i also have some ready planted up that i germinated indoors in January...i'm currently hardening them off but wont plant out in the ground till May in case of late frosts I did sow some self collected seed in October and over wintered them in the cold frame but i think i was sooooo damp that they failed to germinate...i always sow in Autumn and Spring as a safe guard ........because i find the weather is so un predicable now and sadly we seldom have what we can call proper seasons ....so anything goes I discovered that i had forgotten to sow my Sweet Williams in June/July and as biennials i knew i'd made a big boo boo as i'd wasted so much growing time so i thought well iv'e got nowt to lose and all to gain if they germinate even if i only have a few...so i went ahead and sowed them in November ... and lo and behold they germinated as we had a real warm spell early November they now are good strong plants in the cold frame and i will plant out in their final places when the risk of frost is over ....so if you've plenty of seed i would just go for it and hope for the best

 

Would I make any comments about wine
Nah, only cake

Beaujolais is one of my favourites but I haven't been able to find any seeds this year :(