Sweet Peas over winter.

Hi All,

I got given some magic beans by a neighbour who said they were sweet peas and told to plant them up and overwinter them in the greenhouse. Two weeks ago they went into modules and wahoo now they are popping through.

As I've never started sweet peas so early how do I protect them over the coming months? Are they likley to outgrow the modules because if they do and need planting on then it seems a bit of a faff when I could have just waited to spring

Anyway discovered today that chickens really, really like seedling spring cabbage. Memo to me don't feel sorry for chickens and let them free range in the naive belief that they won't 'visit' the veggie patch

Thanks as always

MrM

 

Ive had mine in for a couple of weeks - its been so warm that they have grown to about 6 - 8 inches, so I took the growing tip out when I got around to moving them to the cold frame at the weekend.

Hopefully it will start to get cold enough to stop them getting much bigger - otherwise they might be in flower come xmas !

 

Hi Mr M

How deep are your modules , as sweet peas need a deep run in a pot, they will be fine in the greenhouse over the winter they will soon stop growing once it gets cold so depending what you have to keep in the greenhouse keep the windows open 24 7 if you can ? my green house is full of daylily's and with this warm weather have had to do the same , my opinion I have never had any benifit of planting now "bit of faff" sounds about right and I have always left till late March early April to plant .


yes chickens had a fab time by the sound of it

Spruce

 

Thanks for the responses, that is reassuring to now that they will go into a state of suspended animation over the winter. I needn't worry too much though I'm sure the chickens will find a way of nipping out the tops (and the middles and bottoms) of them if the cabbages are anything to go by! If it's not the deers, rabbits or badgers its chickens that I feed and rear, some gratitude that!!