Poor sweet peas again

[Bigmallly]

I always think they perform better when sown in the Autumn. Maybe I'm just rubbish with Spring sown ones.

[Containergardener]

I'm going to try autumn this yr, itl remove one spring task at least

[Martin H]

The last two years I've sown in the autumn without much success - two years ago they were much too overgrown before I could plant them out, then last year germination was very poor. So both years I sowed again in early spring and got some good plants.

I'll be trying again this October, though!

[Containergardener]

Perhaps do half autumn , half spring ...a trial

[sparrow100]

My sweet peas are a foot high - the survivors that is! I planted out 25 plants, I have I think 6 remaining. The rest drowned I think!

[bramble]

Sweetpeas..

The last two years I've sown in the autumn without much success - two years ago they were much too overgrown before I could plant them out, then last year germination was very poor. So both years I sowed again in early spring and got some good plants.

I'll be trying again this October, though!

As you said Martain, damned if you do, damed if you dont.
This is my first time sowing in the autumn and they were falling over by the time it was mild enough to plant them out, but it seems to have paid off, or maybe I was just lucky this time.

[Bigmallly]

I sow them in a planter in Autumn & they stay outside all winter. I've never pampered them.

[Martin H]

I sow them in a planter in Autumn & they stay outside all winter. I've never pampered them.

Yes, when I've had success with them I've treated them tough. It's only since I got a greenhouse that I've started to fail. This winter they are going to live in the draughty old cold frame until they go out in the allotment in the spring. I just need to keep the snails away!

[Containergardener]

Agree re treating tough, first yrs I pampered them indoors ..leggy and wimps , last yr ran out of space indoors after germinating ..they ended up on decking on staging..did great, this yr with a crappy life start to yr I started them late and they went outside straight after germination in staging and they've caught up.

[Mark_Riga]

This year was the first year I tried Autumn sowing and then kept them in cold Green House till early Spring. Planted out well before last frosts and no problems. They did flower a couple of weeks before some spring sown ones these are flowering as well now here in Cheshire. Some late sown are still developing.
They have been planed too close together though and are showing a lot of something, mildew I think, it is on the lower leaves, brown and Papery and dead/dying also on the stems which is worrying. Doesn't look quite like picture on RHS site though if anyone has better idea what it is? The tops look fine - but will they get cut off in their prime?

[Mark_Riga]

What I meant to add MARB67 was that there looks to be some small spots of brown on your leaves but not as much as mine though.

[cilla]

I brought sweet peas from garden centre this spring as last year. Put them in a pot. They have grown tall and I did have some flowers a few weeks ago. Then the rain came day in day out. So I went to the sweet pea display in the tent at Hampton Court show they told me it is drop bud where the buds dies due to too much rain. They said cut all the buds and not to feed until the new flowers come out which it will they said. They also said to cut the tennacles and only leave a few to climb the support or just tie which is what I have done since the beginning and they are bushy, but just sad at the moment.
I did buy the seeds from them and they said to seed beginning of October. If it is any help I can put their website on forum but need to look it up. They had a beautiful display and think they got gold award.

[bearded bloke]

I'll hazard a guess that was Eagle Sweet Peas cilla ? If it was & it's their seeds then it will be hard to get better advice

[cilla]

Yes it was. They say they are the only growers of sweet peas. I brought two packages ready for October, can't wait but do not want to rush the so called summer.

[bearded bloke]

Yep, very nice couple, Ive met them a few times at the Wem sweet pea festival, they grow & do breeding in the UK then send seeds from those plants to New Zealand to grow on into plants purely for seeds to sell on to gardeners.
Which varieties did you choose ?