Planting out sweet peas

[jonny]

Hi, I am looking for advice about sweet peas. I have them in the greenhouse and they are around 4 inches now. I live in SE Scotand and we can have frosts into May. I am concerned that they will become too strong in the greenhouse. Should I start hardening them off? Would it be foolish to plant out before the risk of frost has gone? Or will a wee nip not do them any harm? (A wee nip never did me any harm )

[andrewo]

Very foolish to plant out before all frost is gone as they will be knocked back and never recover - I planted mine out too early one year and they never recovered. I would wait until all frost is gone, pinch out the tops so they start to get bushy, or if you have a well insulated coldframe put them in there for now and plant on at end of May. I live in a frost pocket and have only just planted mine.

[bramble]

Hi Jhonny, I planted mine out about a month ago and they are doing fine. I plant them out every year at the beginning of March and never had any bother. If you are in doubt perhaps it would be best to take Andrews advice and keep them indoors with the growing tip pinched out which will give you a bushier plant.
Good Luck whatever you decide.

[jonny]

Thanks both, I took Andrews safer option and nipped some tops off today.

[nick the grief]

For future reference Jonny, you can plant sweet peas in the autumn & over winter them in Coldframes OK Mine have spent all winter in an unheated greenhouse & are now in the coldframe. About October/November is a good time depending where you are as there is still enough warmth to keep them ticking over before the weather turns cold.