Sweet peas

[veggiechicken]

Initially, the Sweet peas had long stalks and were a pleasure to pick. As the weeks have passed, the stems have grown shorter and shorter. Now, there is barely any stem at all.
Does this always happen and I haven't noticed before or should I have done summat to them to keep them long-stalked?
They're in pots BTW.

[rhonsal]

I'm just super jealous that you've already had the chance to pick flowers - it's been so cold and wet here in Central Scotland, that it's only been the last three weeks that might have even started to put on any growth far less flowers!

If anyone's looking for me i'll be in the corner having a green-eyed monster sulk!

On a more serious note I do remember watching a gardening programme which said the flower stems do get shorter the older the plant!

[Dorothy rouse]

I bought sweet peas that specifically said, 'long stemmed, good for cutting', but they are not and many are kind of curly, still lovely tho. Maybe it was the cold spring, they aren't as good as last year.

[skeggijon]

No flowers at all on mine yet

[unclefudgly]

Tends to always happen as plants mature and branch, the more energy going into greenery the less goes into the flowers apparently. Hence the reason for growing cordon style sweet peas for long stems througout the season.

[veggiechicken]

Ahh, thank you Uncle That makes sense.
Good job I started more plants for a late Sweetpea crop.
Sorry about all those of you who have yet to have a sniff of a Sweetpea - it'll come, I promise

[Martin H]

The stems start to get shorter even on the cordon ones as the season advances. Some of mine are nearly at the top of their 8 foot canes now and I noticed the flower stems on those are getting a bit short. I'll start layering them in the next few days.



</smug>

[veggiechicken]

OK Mr Smug , could you describe how you will "layer them" please - although I think its too late to do much with mine now.
Would be nice to get it right next year though
Ta!!!

[Martin H]

I don't know why it's called layering, VC, but this just means you carefully untie the plant from its cane, lay it flat along the row, and tie it so that it can grow up another cane a suitable distance away. This lets them carry on growing upwards without getting out of reach.

So I've got 24 canes with a sweet pea plant growing up each. I'm going to re-tie plants 1-12 so that they grow up canes 13-24 and vice versa.

This really only works well if you've been removing sideshoots, cutting off the tendrils and tying the plant in to the cane. Because then you can easily take them down and re-route them.

Ideally all the plants are the same height and reached the top of their canes at the same time. Mine aren't and haven't, because of selective slug munching, so I might have to improvise a bit.

[veggiechicken]

Thanks Martin
I understand the technique but it wouldn't work for me as mine are growing up wigwams in pots.
Something to plan for next year. Please remind me in spring

[mothhawk]

mine are all short now too. Six inches some of them, but as they are rambling up canes but around other stuff too, no chance of copying Martin's super ordered growing method. i wouldn't have the patience anyway. I just use shorter vases as the season progresses

[Bill HH]

i have a question for Martin, I obtained some of his red sweet pea seeds last year (and they are gorgeous) so I intend keepin some seeds. I already have some small pods which I would normaly remove, if i leave them to fill up will this be to the detriment of further flowers? if so is it best to let pods ripen only when the plants are almost finished?

[Martin H]

Those red ones, Firecrest, are nice aren't they!

I have always waited until quite late in the season and collected seed then. I have found that as soon as I stop picking the flowers it stops producing them.

However, this season I'm trying the effect of leaving just one stem on each plant to produce pods early in the season, in fact I did this a couple of weeks ago. I've only done this on one plant of each variety; since I grow three of each I will be able to see whether it has a detrimental effect. I'm hoping that because it's only one flower, the plant will think "I can't stop now it's far too soon and I've still got loads of energy". Actually the plants are looking ok so far, except that the Firecrest pods have produced a total of 2 seeds, so I'm thinking of risking another one!

If I'm lucky I'll have some spare to send to the VSP again. Otherwise, last year's will probably still be okay.

So to summarise, I don't really know!

[bearded bloke]

An "aside" .........

The Eckford Sweet Pea Society of Wem will be holding its 27th Annual Sweet Pea Show in Wem, North Shropshire SY4 5DS on Saturday 18th July and Sunday 19th of July 2015 - See more at: Wem Sweet Pea Show - Shropshire Tourism & Leisure Guide

As a member I get in free & shall be there on the Saturday

[Martin H]

Nice one BB. See if you can ask an expert about when to collect seed?