Help With Sweet Peas

[snuffer]

I like to grow sweet peas alongside my runner beans to help attract the pollinators. Usually I just plant the spare ones that friends have left over from those they buy at garden centres. However, this year I've decided to grow my own from seed.

Here is my problem. Books and websites advise growers to pinch out the tips of young plants to encourage bushiness and extra flowers. All well and good but some refer to 'the growing tip' some to the 'first leaves' and others to 'pinching off all but the lowest two leaves' Which is correct? So far I'm leaning toward 'the growing tip' school of thought but only because this seems less drastic and will take less courage to do.

PLEASE HELP. They are spring sown, if that makes any differance.

[grasser]

im no expert but wat i did,let them grow about 6 inches tall then pinch out the tip 2 shoots will appear lower down let them grow 6 inches again pinch them out their tips and so on till you have a plant that is as bushy as you want it to be then let it grow worked for me its now 3 feet tall with about 6 stems on it.

[rustylady]

Let them grow until they're about four inches high, then pinch out the growing tip as far as you need to in order to leave at least two sets of proper leaves.

[serenity]

is it too late to sow sweet peas? i sowed loads in autumn but have had a bad year, split up with my husband and had to put the house for sale. With 2 children to support i have been somewhat distracted and killed them all off. i had intended to grow some white sweetpeas to plant with my painted lady runners.

[debjay]

is it too late to sow sweet peas? i sowed loads in autumn but have had a bad year, split up with my husband and had to put the house for sale. With 2 children to support i have been somewhat distracted and killed them all off. i had intended to grow some white sweetpeas to plant with my painted lady runners.

I would give it a go nothing to loose. Hope your year gets easier
Debbie

[Waffler]

I'm fairly sure you can direct-sow sweetpeas up until May (I'm sure I did last year in fact).
I go midway with the pinching out: I don't take off too much, but take off more than the top pair of leaves. I think the lower you go the more bushy the plant will be.

[snuffer]

Thanks for that every one. I think I'm going to go with Rusty Lady on this.

Sorry to hear about your problems Serenity. Hope you are alright. Things in the garden pose enough problems, people are much too complicated.

[snuffer]

Done It

Today I plucked up the courage and followed Rusty Lady's advice. I pinched out the sweet peas to leave two sets of leaves on each plant. Must admit it seemed counter intuitive vandalising my lovingly reared seedlings but if it makes for more blooms and sturdier plants then so be it.

Thanks again for the advice. Wish me luck.

[squashysu]

sorry but i have to be honest - i dont understand "pinching out"

I have my sweet peas growing nicely in a raised flower bed near to the kitchen, can someone tell me what i need to do then to get them to flower and appear bushier!!! do i literally strip of the leaves, leaving only 2 sets at the bottom on the main stem???

this is my first year growing anything at all and i am sorry if i appear a bit dim, but every day is a day in school , so thought i would ask, by the way i have grown mine from seed and they are now about 7 inches tall!!

thanks
SS

[deezyb]

SS, you need to pinch out - by pinching out at the the 2nd or3rd shoots up on the stem and pinch directly on the main stem. This will make the sweet pea grow bushier lower down and grow more. It seems harsh to pinch them out so low, but it does make a difference. Have courage!

Just looking at this, and hope I've explained correctly!

D

[squashysu]

THanks Deezyb

Sorry to appear really dim here,mine have lots and lots of leaves on them, so if i go to the first 3 shoots then i pinch from there with my fingers (yes i really am that dim!!) does that mean i break off the rest of the plant that has grown, but it will grow back??

I may just have to be brave!

Thanks

SS

[deezyb]

Hi SS - the bit you pinch off goes in the compost heap! the rest grows on and gets bushy. If you don''t want to be too brave, just pinch a bit higher up! I remember watching Sarah Raven on Gardeners' World pinching out and she was ruthless and I mean really ruthless! Like you, I'm a bit more cautious! Even ones that I've grown since October, I've pinched out quite low...and they're looking okay! Wishing you luck

[squashysu]

Thanks Deezyb

I will do it tomorrow, i have a friend coming and she is doing a RH Degree, so she can do it for me ha ha ha!

Cheers

SS x