When to plant out sweet peas

[maverick451]

I sowed sweet peas in autumn an the are about a foot tall now currently in an unheated greenhouse

When can they go outside? are they frost hardy?

[Guest]

After the last frosts, unless you fleece them.

[jackarmy]

Pinch out the growing tip as well Mav if you havent already, get the little darlings bushing out

[Martin H]

They can go out any time after you've hardened them off properly.

In previous years I've done the same as you and kept them in the unheated greenhouse all winter, the problem was they got quite big and unwieldy and were a faff to harden off and plant. So this year they've stood outside on the garden table all year. They are looking much sturdier and don't need hardening off, so I'll be planting them out as soon as I can get around to it.

[burnie]

I plant a few inside the greenhouse for early blooms for cut flowers and the greenhouse smells amazing

[Martin H]

OK, so I planted them out today. I've not used rootrainers before but they seem to have worked really nicely:



I've given each plant its own 8 foot cane, put a slice of plastic drink bottle over it and dropped a slug pellet or two in each. That should keep them cosy and give them some protection from the pigeons as well:

[bramble]

Very healthy looking plants Martin.
Mine will be going out any day now. They were in the unheated greenhouse when the glass was blown out by the storm and the wind was blowing in on them so they should be well able to tolerate the great outdoors after that.

[Ms-T]

I like the drink bottle idea.