Sweet Peas

[bramble]

My first lit of sweetpeas have now got their second set of leaves.
Another lot have germinated over the weekend.
So far, so good.

[nickdub]

Mine are looking healthy which is the main thing, and have started growing a bit with the warmer weather - I've put some bits of fleece over them to discourage the deer from snacking.

[bramble]

Mine are looking healthy which is the main thing, and have started growing a bit with the warmer weather - I've put some bits of fleece over them to discourage the deer from snacking.

Nick, are your sweet peas outdoors?

[nickdub]

Yep - got them in some 6" deep wooden troughs which are currently sited on top of an old sun-lounger to discourage mice.

I've been keeping an eye on the weather forecast in case we get promised snow and I would then put them under cover somewhere, but so far we've just had the odd frost. I've over-wintered sweet peas outside in trays before now with reasonably good results from planting out March time, if the weather is OK then

[farendwoman]

I grow mine outside too Nick.
Keep mine covered with an old glazing panel to try to keep the mice off them. It’s amazing how mice still manage to get in through the tiniest little gap.
Shall be starting a few more off this weekend to replace the casualties.

[nickdub]

Well putting the seedlings on top of the sun lounger on the lawn has worked OK for me as far as mice deterrence goes - I put some bits of fleece on top just in case the deer wander through and take a fancy to a few fresh mouthfuls :-) - - I've got about 80 little plants now, so if I can get the majority of those to grow on that should be more than enough for me.

[farendwoman]

Well putting the seedlings on top of the sun lounger on the lawn has worked OK for me as far as mice deterrence goes - I put some bits of fleece on top just in case the deer wander through and take a fancy to a few fresh mouthfuls :-) - - I've got about 80 little plants now, so if I can get the majority of those to grow on that should be more than enough for me.

Lucky you - well done.
I’ve got about 25 three inch pots with three seedlings per pot. Some looking good, some not so good.
Don’t have deer problems just over he river from you. Twice a year we get two youngish ones grazing in the field behind our house for about three days. Then they move on till next time.

[Rico]

I started sweet peas off in October in toilet roll tubes, they had good growth spurt and I pinched the top shoots. I had to keep slugs at bay once they were outside, once the weather cooled this wasn't so much a problem but the rolls were getting black mold on them so I put them into all into a planter with soil. They seem ok now if not a little woody looking.

I put some more seeds in the planter a couple of weeks back and mice got them, guess I'll have to start some more indoors .

[Mark_Riga]

Bought a couple of bags of compost to get ready for sowing. If we sowed any outside I think a war would start with the local rodents as to who should have first sitting for dinner.

[unclefudgly]

Mice nibbled tops and bottoms off mine, time to redo and make mouse proof

[nickdub]

The deer got a few of mine where the fleece had blown off one corner - so I've moved them in to the poly-tunnel and hung their containers up by suspending them from the central bar - will plant them out as soon as the weather goes in to a warm spell - they're about 6" tall now.

[Aunty Social]

Sweet pea question

Hello, all,

Does anyone have an approx idea how long it takes a sweet pea to grow 1-2 inches tall?

Going to try an experiment this year. 2017 I didn't know what I was doing & sowed all my sweet peas in cells then pricked out into loo rolls - all germinated & flourished.

2018 I sowed seeds straight in loo rolls - only 3/4s germinated.

This year going back to cells but have loo rolls ready for pricking out. Also a jam funnel so as hopefully not to get compost everywhere but in the rolls.

Many thanks in advance, happy sowing xox

[Dynamite]

Well, I just sowed mine yesterday and they are indoors. Never really grown them before properly. I’m thinking I should put them in my greenhouse (unheated). Minus 2 lowest temp in there for the last few weeks.

Decisions Decisions!! Should I put them out or keep indoors in my kitchen?

Kind Regards.............Rob

[nickdub]

I'd leave them inside a bit if I were you - then go to moving them out in the day and bringing them in at night, then after they've grown a bit they can stay out in your GH until you are ready to plant them out - watch out for mice and slugs.

[Aunty Social]

That's the bit I *do* know - I think indoors is best as mice & pigeons (time to dust off the fake snake) just lerrrrve sweet pea seeds!