Sweet Peas

[Geoff]

I know they are not vegetables but most people seem to grow them, but how?
I use individual varities renowned for their scent. I pinch them out to produce about three shoots then leave them to get on with it. Most of them are show varities but I don’t look after them for showing but gets loads of good quality cut flowers.
The part I have most difficulty with is getting started. I have usually sown them in individual pots 8x8x12cms in 50/50 soiless and JI2 with a bit of grit, probably in the next two weeks, watered in with Cheshunt and put in the propagator just until they show (that’s why I like individual pots). Germination is quite variable, usually all or nothing by variety. If they germinate success from there on is usually 100%.
So what is the favoured sowing technique, last year I filed every seed and I did worse than usual, advice on the web is conflicting:
RHS :
Chip the hard seed coat opposite the 'eye' (small, round scar) using a sharp penknife, to help moisture entry and germination. Don't soak the seeds as they are prone to rotting.
Sweet Pea Society :
Problems with germination? Some varieties have hard coats and may be more difficult to germinate. You could try soaking the seed overnight before sowing (and only sow those that have swollen) or nick the seed’s hard coat by gently rubbing against some sandpaper, on the side away from the 'eye' or scar on the seed. However, most people find that this is not necessary and there is a belief that soaking causes undue stress and weakens the plants.

This year I’m thinking of just pushing them in ½”. What do you do?

[valmarg]

I'm like you, I grow individual varieties, picked for scent. (The Unwims catalogue, which grades the perfume from 1 to 5. 5 being the best scented.)

I tend to get a 3 1/2"pot, and put several seeds in, and poke them into the compost to about 1/2" depth , as you were thinking of doing this year.

I get a reasonable germination. What grows, grows. What don't, don't.

I usully get a reasonable 'crop' for picking. There is nothing quite like walking into a room with loads of sweetpeas in vases. The lovely scent. Oh roll on!

valmarg

[sandersj89]

I use root trainers and sow individual seeds in each cell. I don’t bother soaking mostly and get approx 80% germination rates.

I start sowing back in November and continue through to March so I get a long cutting season.

I have been using Kings Seeds for the last few seasons and find them excellent. Kings High Scent is a variety I particularly like.

Jerry

[Guest]

I get about 90% success rate with this method.
Soak seeds over night in water.
Place seeds on damp kitchen roll paper, cover with same and place in a sealed sandwich box and put somewhere just warm - I put mine on top of my stereo amplifier.
They sprout within a week - then pot on.

[LakeView]

Well, I just sowed 250 3 1/2" pots of sweet peas - with 10 in each (5 was too few last year). I sow about 20 varieties - most for sale outside my home (or at work beside my desk - or the spring pre-school craft fair!). I bought half from Kings (the allotment soc has a deal) and half from Thompson & Morgan commercial (100-pack). For all the ones from Kings I can get plant labels (in 100s) and for the T&M I have to make labels with my colour printer and laminator.

I have them in my heated GH on heating cables in 20 pots per tray.

I found that October-sown plants get too big for sale purposes, so I decided to sow in Feb this year.

Here's a question: for how much (£)would you buy a pot of 8-10 Sweet peas? I don't think I priced them right last year.

Thanks!

[sue-the-recycler]

I adore sweet peas and always grow them but I dont do anything special at all and use whatever seed is free or on offer I plant them stright from the packet, 1 per unit in root trainers in whatever compost I have - this year it is John Innes seed - in January and after they have germinated on a warm windowledge (radiator under the window)I put them in the cold frame outside. I have 99% germination this year - just one hasnt shown. So far they seem to be fine. so "This year I’m thinking of just pushing them in ½”. What do you do?" would be my way to go but Im certainly no expert

[John]

Hello Lakeview
I think I remember seeing pots of sweet pea seedlings for 50p in my local garden centre last year.
I have bought them in the past but now I always grow my own in the same way as some of the others here - singly in rootrainers. This way you can get strong bushy individual plants that be planted out with the minimum of disturbance.
I've found that with pots of seedlings, the plants are difficult to separate and are often weak and drawn because they're so crowded and pot-bound.
Sorry to be a bit of a downer on this one but good luck to your enterprise.
I would add that as soon as you've got seedlings up take them right off the heat. Sweet peas do best when grown cool in fact I would harden them off and grow them on outdoors with protection against slugs and birds. I have my young plants sitting on an old picnic table and just bring them under cover when frost is threatened.

John

[LakeView]

Thanks for the tip, John. Yes, they're already germinating and will come off the heat and into the cold frame tomorrow (quite a bit of a shock, but I need the room in the gh already!)

Geraniums germinating too -- up in three days. Oops, this is a KG forum....sorry!

[Tigger]

I've been resisting this thread - but have now given in.........I've had a mixed experience with sowing sweet peas. Some have been easy and prolific, others a complete disaster. I can't find any obvious causes/links/reasons.

So this year - as any other - I'm going for the belt and braces approach. Lots of self sown, pre soaked seed in root trainers and a number of bought in plugs.

[STEVE PARTRIDGE]

Hi I`m glad to see that there are some fellow sweet pea growers on this site, I start my sweet peas off in mid October in a cold frame sown 1/2" deep in a gritty compost in deep 3" poly pots, when they have developed 2 pairs of leaves I then pinch out the tops to encourage good strong side shoots, I then keep them in the open cold frame all winter, only closing the cold frame if we have a frost of -2c or lower, then plant them at the beginning of March. I sow Spencer varieties which I think have the best form and scents and grow these using the cordon method, they`re wonderful around the house in summer, hello by the way I`m Steve.

http://www.myallotments.blogspot.com

[Jude]

Hello Steve and welcome!
I've done much the same as you with my sweet peas this year and they look healthy and strong, but I asked the question a while ago as to when I could plant them out and was advised, as far as I remember, to wait until much later in the spring. Trouble is they are beginning to get tangled up with each other and I'd love to get them out of the way soon.The weather here in Chester is generally fairly mild but my allotment site is quite exposed, do you think I could risk it?

[STEVE PARTRIDGE]

Hi Jude, thanks for the welcome. I was taught that if the sweet peas are starting to get a bit pot bound, then it was time to get them into the ground as they do not like to have their root growth slowed down in anyway. The one thing that sweet peas dislike the most is a cold wind blowing across them, I would either cover them with fleece for awhile, or try to put a 1ft high barrier around them to stop the worst of any wind from damaging them, I use plywood sheeting with little legs attached which are then pushed into the ground alongside the rows of plants, hope this helps, Steve.

http://www.myallotments.blogspot.com

[arwinfm]

I sow exactly the same as Steve - perfect results - all my overwintered sweet peas has overcome being planted out in -4 temperatures.
Cheers Arwin

[jane E]

Steve - I just can't get over your web site and your allotments - so tidy and organised!

[STEVE PARTRIDGE]

Thankyou Jane E for your comments, Steve.