Sweetpeas

One of my local garden centres has tray and tray of sweetpeas already for sale. They're under cover, but outside - please tell me it's far too early to plant them outside yet?

 

it's too early Aaron, you are right.

 

Phew, I thought I was going mad when I saw them...and even more mad when I thought about buying some!

 

This is one of my gripes with GCs-they just don't even try to advise and selling sweetpeas as if they can go outside now is irresponsible IMHO. Imagine the people it will put off gardening if they think they can't even grow sweetpeas! Needs to be a heck of a lot warmer before mine will leave the greenhouse-probably May/June the way this winter just won't let go at the mo'.

 

It could be clever marketing/selling as well. Novices plant the sweetpeas now, another frost comes along, kills them, you go and buy more. They even had some of them for sale in small wicker baskets with pea sticks attached. I can really see sweetpeas doing well in that small a space. But I suppose with Mother's Day this Sunday....

 

I have a few packs of sweet pea seeds. So it will be interesting for me too haha.

 

You can sow them now jmurray. Now or in the Autumn-October time and keep them safe in an unheated greenhouse or coldframe over the winter. The ones I sowed last year will flower a little earlier which is the benefit of Autumn sowing for the following summer.

 

Thank goodness for that as Ive just planted my seeds in a large container on my patio with the intent of growing them up a 'wigwam' of canes. I do have glass over the container at the moment though.

 

I hope the container is a big one Blueroses. I've tried sweetpeas in pots before and they never did that brilliantly, needed constant watering and were 'over' way before they should have been. I find they're happier in the ground.

 

Sweet peas are hardy they can be sown outside direct where they are to flower or planted out in March. However if they have been grown inside or with protection they will need hardening off to acclimatise to the colder outside.

 

Im sure youre right Sussexgardener, but I dont have open ground to put them in and I would rather have a shorter display of their colour and fragrance than none at all :gnthb:

P.S. yes it's a big container

 

I do think it has to do with the watering when in tubs, but the soil temperature has a part to play, at least that's what I reckon.

In tubs and planters the soil is more subject to variations in the temperature and the water level, I don't think they like too much fluctuation.

Like Marley, I think they are most definitely worth the additional effort they require.

 

What sort of fertilizer would be good? I always have plenty of tomato food around, any good?