Hi everybody and Merry Christmas!
I have a lot of Sweet Pea seeds I want to sow and grow this year -- but I'm not quite sure what I'll end up with. This is my first year growing them.
Have you noticed that a lot of the Sweet Pea varieties are blends or formulas and not all one color? If I have a tee pee -- okay, a bunch of sticks I am trying to make a tee pee out of -- how many Sweet Pea seeds do I need for it? Does it look weird if I have, say 7, and they are all different colors?
I was thinking of putting my sticks in a circle about 2 feet in diameter. I don't want these things taking over the world, just giving me some elevation. I am not sure how big around each plant will get before it croaks in Jun-July from too much heat. Are there any tips out there for having them grow longer into the summer besides getting heat resistant varieties? One tip I read was to not have them near a brick wall, which certainly makes sense to me!
Thanks, and naturally, no rush on any answers, but I'd love to hear from anybody who pops into the forum over the holiday!
Suzy
Sweet Peas! I'm going to have SWEET PEAS!
Hiya,
Never came to this forum before Cotages have a different meaning in england lol.
Anyway move it to a clean conversation...... Sweet peas.
I can only really tell you about growing them over here with wet mild winters and wet mild summers to match. Oh yeah and lots more rain thrown in just for fun.
The best thing we do is start them in the Autumn and pinch the tops out when they grow 2 leaves and keep taking the tops out untill you've one it about 3 or 4 times.
Soak em in water overnight and then plant them in something long! easiest thing is the cardboard tubes you get from bog rolls. There just the right length and size.
Put a couple of seeds in each tube.
There heavy feeders and if they don't get feed well enough they go straw coloured and die.
Look out for mildew so spray regular.
What else can i say???
I allways pack them in and pick the flowers regular.
Mike
"Bog rolls"... whew. Mike, you're talkin' the queen's English... is that toilet paper rolls? Or maybe paper towel rolls?
I thought I had this down, too...
I made little plantable pots (4") out of newspaper to sow them in. I sowed them in January indoors and put them in the cold frame when they reached about 4" tall. I planted them out in the garden with lots of compost the first or second week of March and had a really nice show of blooms through June. They bloomed with Eremerus and Asiatic lilies. After trying annual sweet peas many times it was my first success. They were deeply mulched and seemed to like that too (I had a few in another area that was'nt and they did'nt do well).
Mike, does pinching the growth tips when young stimulate bushier plants with more blooms? Sounds like an excellent idea!
Mike -- What's "pack them in" mean? Plant close together? How close?
Gemini, that sounds like just the ticket! I have the plant pots -- do I want the Campbell's soup size pots or the toilet paper roll pots? Can I start them January 1st? (I'm going on the theory we're having a mild/non-existant winter this year.)
I have a LOT of seeds, so if I guessed wrong on the winter I can start over. Heavy feeding. Hmm, do they like animal manure?
Suzy
I'd say at least as big as a Campbells soup can; my 4" pots were full of roots when I set them out, so I think the TP roll would be too small. I think composted manure would great for them.
Suzy, the seeds you sent me are sprouting. I need to feed them this afternoon. Oh, I hope they work, if only for a little while. I fear you're right about the mild winter -- we're having a roller coaster of a winter down here. It was in the 30s night before last, and will be in the 70s today.
gemini, how did you make your pots? I can't seem to build an origami pot that has decent dimensions -- do you have a form? Or just wrap it around something and wet it? How many layers is it?
I just lined 4" plastic pots with a couple of layers of newspaper and left them in there till I slipped them out to plant. You have to poke holes in the bottom of the paper so water will drain well (I found this out the hard way, lol).
Oh! Not a bad idea at all. Getting time to decide what I'm going to plant seeds in -- I just ordered a bunch from Park's.
Geminii - I'll use those bigger pots then...and the manure when I plant them out. It's interesting that T&M have a "root trainer" for sweet peas, but I can't tell from the picture exactly what it is.
Brigidlily,
That's excellent then -- if you have success this year, even a short success, then all you have to do is plan on planting them in what, October? for a glorious mid winter display! I'm envious!
Did ALL the seeds germinate, even the old ones? I'm dying to know!
You can use a Campbell's soup can and a half of a single sheet of newspaper (just rip it lengthwise -- no ruler necessary, just get close.)
Roll the can in the newspaper with one edge even with the top of the can. When you get it rolled up, take the extra newspaper from the bottomand fold it like you would if you were wrapping a present. Use a tiny piece of masking tape to lightly secure it if you're not going to use it right away. The weight of the soil will keep it folded, but if you make these ahead of time, you need the tape to hold it together. Masking tape should easily let go when it gets wet, but if it doesn't, I plant to peel it off or loosen it.
Now that Geminii sage has told us about the newspaper holding too much water, I plant to poke some holes in them AFTER I get soil and water in there because I htink it will be easier to poke a hole in wet newspeper than layers of dry newspaper.
Suzy
Thanks, Illoquin. I can make just all sizes that way. Good project for a cold, rainy afternoon!
As for the sweet peas, I only planted 4 - 6 seeds in each pot, and kept the varieties separate. There's growth in each pot, but I'm at work now so can't give you details. But yes, they're all apparently good seeds. I did keep some back in case we have a really hard freeze. I'll probably plant them in late February anyway.
Whoa! When you get home, take a look and make sure, and then I'll tell you how old those seeds are -- you won't believe me when I tell you, because they aren't just OLD, they are ancient! LOL!
Feb is too late to plant Sweet pea seeds there, you know that, right? You're just going to see what happens? How cold does it get there? What temperature constitutes a hard freeze? I believe Sweet Peas can take any amount of cold that Texas dishes out.
Suzy
Is it really? I figured they'd do all right, maybe bloom through April. The coldest I think it's EVER gotten here is about 15 degrees, but that's WAY out of the ordinary. By and large, if we have a cold winter, it will dip into the 20s at night for a while. We have more of a problem with the azaleas blooming and then getting frozen because we have mild spells between the cold spells. We had an ice storm back in 97 (98?) that put the whole area out of commission for a week. Again, very extraordinary. THAT would be a hard freeze, or as I understand it, sustained temps below freezing.
The sweet peas that are just coming up -- I can't swear at this point that they're not weeds that were in the potting soil! But I'll check and make sure about them and let you know. If I can get a decent picture of them I'll post it.
What??? You sending me your grandma's seeds???????
Oh, I meant Feb is too late to sow, not plant out the seedlings. My mistake.
Suzy
I assumed you meant sow. That's what I meant.
I just stumbled on your sweet pea thread -- so it's too late to start sweet peas this year already??
No, I don't think it's too late, esp in MA.
Suzy
I have started some sweet peas inside under lights and they are starting to vine. Hope I did not start them too early. Just to fill you in on my eventful winter, I had a ruptured disc in my neck in Dec. Think I need to stop throwing those 40 pound bags of potting soil around. I had to have a spinal fusion done Jan 9, just got back to work and 2 days later, I had to have an emergency brain surgery. It turned out to be a brain abcess. Yesterday I developed a blood clot in my right forearm. Now I will be giving myself IV meds twice a day for the infection in my brain plus shots of blood thinner 2 times a day. Good thing I am a nurse and can do it all myself. What can I say, I am so ready for spring and gardening season.
Susan
Good grief! Susan, I'm so glad you've weathered all that winter threw at you and all that crud is behind you now. Wishing you a happy and very healthy gardening season :)
Neal
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Susan}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} Good grief, you deserve a break! Please take very good care of yourself and get into that garden any chance you get!!! I'm sorry you've had such a horrible few months.
Illoquin, some of what was sprouting in December was indeed weed seeds in the "potting soil"! Really makes me mad. Don't get "Scotsman's Choice" potting soil unless you actually want clover. Grrr. I wound up putting more seeds in the pots, and this is what they look like now. It's mainly the "Apricot Sprite." They stayed about 3" tall for what seemed like forever, but now they're trying a little more growth on for size. I do not know how to rotate the picture so everyone lean to port for this one --
Oh, so the old seeds didn't work! I psted somewhere that they were good for a long time....ooops!
Here are mine -- same thing with the picture...except I did rotate it, it just didn't have an option to "save", so I'm not sure how it will post. These are Sweet Peas growing inside. I didn't use enough seed, I'm afraid.
Suzy
Oh, my gosh, how did I miss your post, ((((((((((Susan))))))))? Sounds like you have been through the mill -- and back! Yes, I 'd say very definitely you deserve an early spring! Welcome back!
Suzy
I thought I had a picture, but I don't. The SPs from the photo a few responses above finally have what look like they will be blooms! I thought it had gotten too hot already, but maybe not!
LOL I just stumbled upon this thread.
I didn't see anyone answer this, Pagan, and it's probably a mooP point by now, but just in case... the "bog" is the restroom/loo/toilet so, yes, bog roll = toilet paper roll.
How are everyones SweetPeas doing? They don't like me. I grow SP foliage very well though.
Susan, I too had missed this thread. i do hope your health problems are behind you now and that you are enjoying a nice spring. It is almost spring here. Last night was very cold all night and I think all my apricot blooms were frozen. The rest of the week is supposed to be quite warm. None of my Sweet Pea seeds planted outside a couple of weeks ago have poked through the soil yet. Have had to irrigate them with soaker hose a couple of times. We have had no rain for more than two months so getting very dry.
Donna
OMG, I missed Susan's post on my first read.
Susan, I hope you're on the mend. How are you doing? Big hugs to you.
Susan, we're all waiting for an update. I took a picture of my SWEET PEA BLOSSOM this morning and forgot to bring the camera to work. Duh. It's purple and very, very sweet.
So, sending you irises instead:
My sweetpeas are waiting for an appropriate moment to go in the gardens. I have given away 12 plants. (some have roots that extend 6 inches outside their paper pots!)
So these will have to be planted soon. When I have flowers, I will send pictures.
Seandor.
I know the subject line says I'm going to have Sweet Peas, but now I'm not so sure.
Mine are outside and a couple feet high (I started them inside). It's forecasted to be 25-28 degrees for the next 5 nights. No frost. I could cover them, but the wind is horrific and no covering would stay on them without a lot of engineering. I'm afraid they'll have to fend for themselves.
Suzy
They'll be fine, Suzy, are they blooming yet?
DOES ANYONE READING THIS THREAD HAVE ANY EXTRA SP SEEDS? I didn't order them with the other seeds I ordered to WS because I wasn't going to WS them. Does that make any sense?
Susan, hope you find Spring to be a time of healing.
xxxxx, Carrie
Planted some sweet peas outside two weeks ago -- no luck so far, and had some frosty weather since. Now I'm starting some inside, might try some more outside. Maybe they don't like New England?
I planted mine about two weeks ago and they are coming up fine. They are a couple inches long now.
My sweet peas are in question too with the cold, cold weather we are having. I do still have some inside under lights, but put some that sprouted in the refrigerator outside about a week ago and they are growing. I did cover them lightly, so hope they make it. I was in the hospital a couple days again last week with another blood clot but hope we have figured out the problem now and upped the blood thinners. Still giving myself IV meds for another week or 2 for the brain abcess, but feeling really good and working full time. I will feel even better when the sun comes back and it warms up. Talking possibility of snow today.
Susan
Constance, they like N. E. fine. They'll be fine. At my old house they would grow like crazy with NO help from me - bad rocky dirt, no fertilizer or anything. That was in J.P.
xxx, Carrie
Susan, I do hope you and the doctors get you to feeling much better soon. Hospitals are no fun. And I too am hoping for much more springlike weather. My sweetpeas planted some time ago outside are not showing up at all yet. Best wishes for better health and spring.
Donna
Here's the first sweet pea blossom I got -- it's from a couple of weeks ago and none to sharp a photo, but I'm sending it to you, Susan, for hope and healing and all that good stuff:
Thank you; it's lovely.
xxx, Carrie
Constance and Carrie - I've noticed that my Sweet Peas like to languish in the summer and, just when I'm thinking about pulling them up, they start to sprout again when the weather cools off. I've had them blooming in November before on their dried-up looking vines!
Wow, that must be nice. I had no sweet peas this year - some sprouted, but I don't think anyone bloomed. Somehow, I never got around to planting whatever I was kindly sent...