Kitchen Garden Forum

I ordered, amongst other things, some sweet peas from Thompson and Morgan last year, and was annoyed to be told they would be delivered in spring 2007! I cancelled the order.
And now they have arrived..... with a leaflet that says: "Your plants are ready for planting out... they have been pinched out a few weeks ago... each module has a minimum of 3 seedlings... do not separate them when planting out as any attempt to do so may damage the roots."

They haven't been pinched out, and each module has over TEN plants. It is also too early to plant them out in the garden, isn't it? It doesn't seem a good idea to plant out a group of ten, as they will be very crowded.

What should I do? Do I pot them on into bigger pots? Do I split them up? Do I pinch out the tops?

Alison

I agree that ten right next to each other is too many! I would soak them extremely well then gently tease the roots apart. Sweetpeas with damaged roots will perform better than ten squeezed in close to each other I think!

Hello Alison
I suppose as they're free you can't really complain but if you had paid I guess you would be pretty cross.
One thing you could do is to thin each module down to the three strongest seedlings and then pinch these out to about three pairs of leaves. Sweet peas like to be grown cool so I'd keep them outside still in their modules (if you think these are big enough) until they show signs of growth then plant out.

John

Hi Alison,
To be totally brutal I would pick the most convenient place and simply cut them in two.
I am willing to bet that at most you will maybe lose two plants. If you were only meant to get three plants this way you will get a minimum of six and probably eight or more.
Go on be brutal!
JB.

This should leave you confused!
I think you can rescue the lot. I would let them get slightly dry then tip them out and gently tease them apart nipping off any tendrils if they have got hold of each other. Pot each one up in its own deepish pot say about 9x9x15cms, pinch out at 3 - 5 leaf joints depending on "legginess" and water well. Keep in cold greenhouse or cold frame until get some side shoots. I guess you can plant out pretty early down there, say 2 - 3 weeks with a bit of protection while they get away.

Unless it's very exposed where you want to plant them, I would put them outside now. They are fully hardy but may, of course, have been a bit mollycoddled at T&M's, so fleece protection for a few days should get them to settle. I grow ours from seed (sowing in January) and they will be planted outside any day now, at a fair height and quite exposed.