Sweetpeas

Hi all
Following on from advice here, I've sown mine indoors to see what happens. I can't remember who was an exponent of sowing them early for a better result, otherwise I would message them directly, but what do I do when they start growing? I expect I will need to pinch out the tops to keep them from becoming leggy.

It might be a bit late as I should have done this late last year, but the packets I have do say until January, or after March so I've hedged my bets and only done a few. I also soaked them overnight and what a result-already little shoots are appearing. As I don't have a greenhouse they're on a sunny windowsill in a south facing and very warm back bedroom.

 

I would let them get to 4 leaves, and then pinch the tops out.

They will benefit from having deep pots

Don't let them get too soft - a cold greenhouse will be fine, the kitchen windowsill (once they've germinated) is going to be too warm.

Mice had been eating mine :( - and they will eat the seed before it germinates too. Put a trap or two down.

 

We don't have a green house and our sort of central heating means the house has no cool rooms. Will they be all right to go outside in a month or so once they've got established?
The pots they're in are fairly deep, deeper than those garden centres sell sweetpea seedlings in.

 

Will one of these do the trick? I've been thinking of buying a couple but I don't know if they are any good:

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/n...efview=lister&ts=1231712056672&isSearch=false

 

Actually, I have an old plastic drawer that came out of our old fridge which I saved. It would be big enough to cover the pots outside.

 

I pinch mine out after two leaves, I sowed them in late October-on my birthday as it`s the only way to remember. They are in the greenhouse so as not to let them get too soft. This will be your only problem Aaron-yours will be softies, February is too soon, wait until the end of March and then start to leave them outside for short periods to allow them to harden off, and then plant out mid April, they`ll be okay that way. To ensure some showing ( I don`t think you will need it) you can direct sow some seeds at the end of March, they will flower a little later but they will still be lovely.

 

The "softness" may be offset by the fact that you have sown them later - so by end of Jan they will be ready for pinching out (I'm guessing), and by end of March they will probably be as bushy as mine, and no more.

If you are at home all day I would put them out on warm days, don't let them catch a cold though ...

 

Aaron, pinch them out when about 3" high. To toughen them up, put them outside on mild days, bringing them in at night.:thumb:

 

Hello cluey I would think they would do the job, I have mine in a cold greenhouse, and they came through a couple of weeks ago, I planted about 30 seeds in Nov.

 

Hi Clueless,
They are great, see if you can get a bit of discount for buying two. A good thing for bringing on germinated plants is a poly-styrene fish box type thingy with a sheet of glass or clear perspex over. warm cos well insulated due to styrene.
G.man

 

I forgot to buy my sweetpea seeds. And yes got to not let them get too leggy.