Will my Sweet pea flower?

Hi all. I'm very new to gardening and this is only my second year growing anything. This year I decided to try grow some Sweet Pea plants. Now, knowing nothing really about them, I just plodded on, planted the seeds in pots, raised them to around 4-6 inch, then planted them out in the garden. I built a "climbing frame" for them to ramble up as I was aware they needed this. Then I just left them to it. Was this a mistake?

Since then, I've learnt that perhaps I shouldn't have planted them as close to each other as I did (around 5-6 inch apart). That I should have cut the top off the plant at an early stage (pinching out?) to promote side shoots. That I should remove tendrils and tie in regularly to the climbing frame. To be honest, I wouldn't know what was safe to "trim off" and what wasn't.

Now these plants are around 2-3 feet high and quite healthy looking. They do look rather crowded as many other stems came up through the ground too. I just wonder, will they flower, being left to grow willy-nilly as they are?

I have around 6 different varieties growing, most to 6' plus?

 

They'll be absolutely fine - a beautiful, chaotic scramble of flower and fragrance! When you say 'many other stems came up through the ground', are these more sweet peas, or other plants (probably weeds)? If sweet peas, just leave them. If weeds, remove them. Tie in ones that aren't making a very good job of using the climbing frame. I've never pinched out anything and still got plenty of flowers for cutting. When they do flower, it is a good idea to remove spent flower heads to encourage further flowering.

 

Thats good to hear Yes, I'm absolutely sure they are more SweetPea stems and not weeds. I think they are coming direct from the Pea seed itself, though I can't be entirely sure of this (without digging one up and giving closer examination). Perhaps someone can confirm this to be the case.

And I do love your choice of words 'a beautiful, chaotic scramble of flower and fragrance!'..... The picture it paints is truely something to look forward to.

 

I also have grown some Sweet Pea which hasn't flowered (also first time grower of them) but they're probably about 20" high now.. but the top of the stems is now turning a nice red colour, which could mean they're ready to produce buds? No idea..

 

That doesn't sound right to me. Sweet peas in my area (north Cumbria) are in the main nowhere near flowering yet, so don't worry too much, but I don't recall any part of my sweet peas ever turning red (except the red flowers!) Not growing them this year due to bed reorganisation, so can't pop out and check, but I'm sure someone more expert will be able to enlighten you.

 

I'll take a picture later, it might be my eyes, but it's only a slight tint of red..

 

Just took some, you see the sucker/grabbing things tips..

 

The sweet peas look fine Kyle.........but you need to re-size your pics, there a bit big!

 

I know, aha!

I have no idea how to do it. I uploaded them on TinyPic & then onto here.

& Thanks!

 

I can't load full size pictures without them being oversize. I'm told I need to use photobucket or something similar. I'm not great with the computer and don't want to get to involved, so I just use thumbnails.

 

I thought forums automatically resize pictures to the width of the forum style, like with the other pictures I posted earlier.

 

Back to the sweet peas: they look absolutely fine!

 

Not sure where you are bumbles, but even down here in my part of the country, I don't expect my sweet peas to start flowering for another 3 weeks at least - maybe a bit longer, since it's turned so much colder.

I usually nip out the growing tip(s) when they reach the top of their 'scramble net'. Don't forget to pick them as often as possible, if you don't they'll stop flowering ..... but then I expect you knew that.

 

Up in North West Lancashire, Near Morecambe

My concern was mainly would my sweet pea flower well enough for us to enjoy them, both in the garden and in the home. Having initially planted them as close as I did (5-6" apart (ish)) and then for them to throw up, what seemed a handful of other stems for each seed, is what drove that concern. Now there are many stems and they look like they want to take over the world :runhills:.

Perhaps tomorrow I shall grab the camera and take a few snaps of them for this thread.

 

Hello Bumbles and welcome to GC.

I love Sweet Peas but sadly mine are all finished now .. yes ...

As I sit here all my seed pods are next to my computer to pop open and put in bags for next year. We are now in the mid 20s and have bordered on 30c this week so not a temp that these beautiful flowers like.

I plant mine and let them 'do their thing' .. I don't thin them out or anything except provide some support if they require it. Actually they are quite nice trailing (they do that here with Bougainvillea and Honeysuckle and other such climbers) .. just a thought ...

Enjoy them and I'd like to see the pics ... :yess: