Why do you grow Sweet Peas?

[Ricard with an H]

Alas, I'm not very good at growing them and I only seem to ever have one flower per stem rather than the 2 or 3 there should be.

When I first grew sweet peas I needed to be obsessive about everything I did just to take my mind of my circumstances at the time and so I challenged 'Fred' to a sweet pea growing contest.

Fred was my neighbour at the time, a tomato and fuschia enthusiast and prolific grower of those two plants and I was a novice at growing anything but I read-up on what sweet pea like. Deep digging and lot's of rich composted stuff.

Fred was good in his greenhouse but his sweet peas were no match to mine and down to the simple deep-digging with lot's of manure that I bought in plastic bags from the garden centre because that was suburbia I was living in at the time.

I do the same each year and I get good growth though the previous two years growth was blown away by strong winds, even in summer. It only takes 48 hours of strong wind for the damage to become irreversible.

Last year I bought plug plants at a premium cost, this year I sowed seed. This years crop is as-good and as fragrant though has been more work so i'm wondering now about the cost of plug plants on all things I grow as against all the extra work, costs of potting materials and of-course the cost of a greenhouse.

What do you think ?

[Wicky]

What do you think ?

I think you should carry on doing whichever you enjoy most - starting your own from scratch or going with the plugs. If you get the same results with both then it will just be down to which you can afford/have more fun with.

I also think that mine aren't doing very well as I'm growing them in a tub with general purpose compost. Will bear in mind what they like if I'm doing them next year - thanks for the tips!

[John]

For really good sweet peas you need to sow in late Autumn and overwinter them with the minimum of protection (more if the weather becomes very severe). This will give you short stocky plants for the following year that will produce superb blooms.
Also choose good named varieties to get the fragrance and long stems.
Love 'em.
Grow them near your runners to attract insects to the bean flowers.
John

[FelixLeiter]

What do you think ?

I think you might not be getting the best varieties if you are growing from plug plants. Were they named varieties? It is worth seeking out good strains. I find Kings have a terrific range at a good price. So do Unwins, who pride themselves in their 'peas. But they're dear which, if their seed was consistently good would be worth paying, but they're not always.
You don't need a greenhouse to grow excellent sweet peas. In fact, I would discourage anyone from starting them under glass where they can be too easily "pampered" which ultimately is not very good for them. Starting them in cold frames is ideal — all they need is protection from excessive wind and rain. Sweet peas are entirely frost-hardy, but they're not particularly weather proof. I no longer raise them in the autumn, mostly because by the spring rodents have made a meal of them. It might work well for you, though,, if you can be sure to keep them protected and it certainly brings them on early. Planting out early always brings advantages: as early as March, if the weather comes right.
I don't rate special tubes for raising them in. I sow several to a large pot and prise them apart at planting time, when I discard the weaker individuals. Their roots are like wire and oblivious to disturbance.

[Monika]

Yes, I too think that the best varieties are available in seeds, Kings, Unwins and certainly Matthewmans.

I used to sow in autumn but found their survival could be a bit dicey in our climes, so for the last few years I have sown them in February, initially in the house, then into the unheated greenhouse and by end of March they are usually outside on the allotment. As our site is very exposed, I always put a windshield right round: a double fleece about 2 feet high, completely open at the top. When the plants have reached the height of the windshield, the weather has usually improved enough to take the windshield away and off they grow!

[Geoff]

We wouldn't be without the Sweet Peas. Anybody you give a bunch to thinks they have got a real treat. I always have a 25' bed with three parallel rows of Broad Beans, Sweet Peas and Runner Beans - Bumble Bee heaven.
I agree with the comments that good varieties is the key but also well grown strong plants properly pinched out.
For many years I've grown individually named varieties, three of us shared the packets so we could have several varieties without accumulating a large stock of seed, but these have become too expensive. Last year we tried a mixture a stripy ones from Moles (Tango mixed) which were reasonable but smaller flowered than we were used to. This year we have added their 'Blues and Whites' mix, which are nice but again a little small. We have also added 'Giant Spencer Waved - blended from separate named varieties in exact proportions' and these have been really excellent. You do end up with a lot of seeds from them but 15g for £2.55 gives you about 180 seeds. I've grown 30 each of the three mixtures this year but also shared seeds and given plants away.
Traditionally for best blooms you sow in the Autumn, pinch them out then limit to one shoot, train and remove tendrils and get show quality blooms for a short while before you have to take the plants off their supports, lay them on the ground then start training them up again. A lot of work that is not really required for cut flowers for the house. As is said above, Autumn sowing makes work and losses for no significant benefit.
My method and timetable is as follows. I make up a fairly open compost and fill 9cm square pots, water well and let them drain. I cover with a thin layer of vermiculite then arrange 5 seeds on the surface of each pot. I push them an equal depth into the compost, about 1cm, with the end of a pencil and let the vermiculite fill in behind. I germinate them in the propagator then move them as soon as through to the heated greenhouse. I have some 7.5x7.5x12cm pots and as soond as they have straightened up to 2 to 3cm I prick them out individually. I pinch them out at three leaves and as the side shoots start to develop move them to a cold greenhouse, later I reduce them to two shoots if more develop. Timetable this year was propagator 22/02, heated greenhouse 01/03, pricked out 08/03, polytunnel (always was cold greenhouse) 29/03. They were planted out surrounded by fleece on 15/04.
I know my facilities are a bit of a luxury but that is what works for me.

[glallotments]

I've never bought named varieties. I regularly buy the same mixtures chosen for length of stems and fragrance and haven't been disappointed - that is until this year.

[Shallot Man]

I never buy mixtures. I order four different colour's and mix myself. You at least know what is going to come up.

[lyndapet]

you can get rid of pollen beetles easily , by putting the sweet peas in a dark shed or garage and leave the door slightly ajar , the beetles make for the daylight within minutes

[vegpatchmum]

Hello Lyndapet

You snuck in when no one was looking. Welcome and happy growing Good tip about getting rid of beetles - thanks.

I tend to buy mixed variety packets because I like the surprise of not knowing what is coming. This year my youngest gave me a packet of mixed sweet pea seeds for Christmas and the range was very pale to deep purple. Looks lovely in the garden

VPM
x

[Ricard with an H]

I tend to buy mixed variety packets because I like the surprise of not knowing what is coming.

Last year I bought plug plants from a specialist (I don't remember) who's claims were typical. This year I picked up some mixed seeds from a display rack at our local garden centre, they were very cheap so I bought double. I sowed some indoors and some outdoors under fleece assuming as-usual that I would get failure. The outdoors sown ones are not only massive but as fragrant as I could expect, right now after a week of not cutting and picking because of other work the display of flowers and the smell is something to behold. A photo won't do them justice but i'll try and take one later when it stops raining.

Yesterday evening I took a garden chair up to the terrace where my beds are, I sat along-side the sweet peas with a nice cold bottle of pilsner only to watch my dog stealing and chewing broad beans.

Perfect harmony.

[retropants]

my folks think I am mad, but I really do not like the smell of them! My dad always grows them, and I pick them for him & mum if they haven't got there before me. But I don't have them at home. I won't tell you what I think they smell like!! They are very pretty though! Ours were quite behind this year, and had a short productive period. now they are all shrivelled, but we are saving the seed.

[Ricard with an H]

But I don't have them at home. I won't tell you what I think they smell like!!

Smell, taste, sound and in fact all our senses can be very individual and different from others to the point where others think us odd for being different. For me the smell of sweet peas is not only very pleasant but invokes fond memories. If the memories were horrible maybe I would hate the smell of sweet peas to the point I think they smell like a cat peed in the house.

I understand perfectly and I must stop thrusting bunches of sweet peas at everyone I meet in the hope of giving them a pleasure-able experience.

[glallotments]

There is a theory that our senses are programmed differently. So for instance what I see as and call blue someone else sees what I would call red.

If it is correct it would explain why certain colours, tastes, smells appeal to some people and not to others.

[Ricard with an H]

It's an interesting subject, I love the smell I get on my hands from handling tomato plants. It isn't floral or sweet and I am aware that some people can't stand the smell.

I love the smell of sage, I have two massive bushes and a couple of smaller ones that I grew from seed last year. This year I cut them to the ground in the spring and have this mass of fresh sage leaves that I regularly bury my nose in but don't know what to do with. Only so much sage you can use with my culinary in-expertise.