Sweet pea seeds

It's true that they can cope with frost but that's if they've been sown and raised in cold conditions. It's different if they've been raised in a warm environment.





That's good, luckygirl. I'm sure they'll be fine

They spent the night in the garage and have survived!

PS Eagle Sweet peas are fabulous - 100% germination year after year -

Sweet peas don't care about frost but hate wind. I germinate mine in October and they live in an unheated greenhouse all winter (sometimes frozen solid) - as soon as the ground is OK to plant in (February) out they go but with wind protection. I get fab flowers from early June. Pinched out when two good pairs of leaves visible. I would be very nervous about putting sunflowers out for a good while yet.

Thanks merlot - sorry to be so ignorant!

I will think what is best to do - maybe put them outside for a couple of hours, then put them in the garage with fleece over them. I have to make use of my DD to help me move them; and once they are out on the decking it will be easier for me to get them into the garage.

Do you have any bubble wrap or fleece? You could risk leaving them outside on the decking full time but give them some extra protection at night.

Alternatively you could keep them indoors and remove the covers. They need to toughen up and keeping them covered indoors will encourage spindly growth.

I think I would go for the latter option.

Here's a plan - they are quite heavy because they are in a sort of table, so lots of weight of compost. I thought I might put them on the decking for a couple of hours this afternoon, then drag them into the garage overnight. My DD will help me to get them to the decking, but I cannot get them back to where they were indoors as too heavy for one! The garage will be quite a bit colder than their normal home in the house. Do you think being in the colder garage instead might kill them off?

Yes. Put them outside for a few hours during the day but take them back in at night while we're having this cold spell. Keep the cover on while they're outside then you can start removing the cover during the day and put it back on at night leaving them outside all the time. Don't remove the cover completely until there is no further risk of frost. It's late where we live in East Anglia (I have to wait until the end of May) but it might be milder in your neck of the woods so just keep checking the weather forecast.

Don't be tempted to pinch out the top leaves just yet unless they have a sudden growth spurt. Putting them outside during the day should strengthen them enough to be able to put more energy into producing more leaves.

As Monty Don said on GW last Friday, We're learning from the very warm weather in February which made everything race ahead too quickly.

It is quite cold here - I thought it might be too early to start putting them out.

They are in a sort of deep plastic rectangular trough with a domed more-or-less transparent cover on - I was given two of these for Christmas.

Could I plonk this out on the decking for an hour or two?

Some have produced more leaves now. If I pinch the first leaves off, do I do it just above the new leaves?

This is like GQT! - I am very grateful for all your help.

Luckygirl, you can build up soil around them if they're rather spindly.

Sorry, Luckygirl, I got the wrong end of the stick and thought you'd planted them out.

They now need hardening off so remove the covers and gradually get them used to being planted out. They don't need to be in a warm place any more but need light. Are they in a greenhouse or on a windowsill?

The more cosseting they get now the more they will become spindly and weak because they are indoors.

If you don't have a greenhouse you could stand them outside in a sheltered spot but where they can get full light during the day but continue to protect them from frost.

They are indoors and well protected with covers on.

If you protect them from frost they could still make viable plants but it's a good plan to have some back up just in case.

Merlot’s correct then. If they’ve only got a couple of little leaves at the top. Best leave then alone.

I wouldn't advise pinching them out because the emerging seed leaves will have used up a great deal of energy from the seed itself. You will only be left with a bare stalk.

It's a common dilemma. Everything is too far advanced this year and whenever this has happened to me in the past I've sown some more seeds for back up.

I have just poked seeds into a tray with deep sections.

Even though they only have the two little leaves on the top!?

They are about 5-6" tall. Slender and elegant.

Were they quite tall and spindly before you planted them out? This is etiolation - the emerging plant is looking for light.

Unfortunately this weakens it considerably so your best bet is to sow some more as there is still time. You can then replace them if they don't make viable plants.

Then pinch them now!

They are very tall!

I don’t pinch out the tips till there are four pairs of leaves then pinch the tips of the sweet peas.

Yes. Loo roll middles here as well. I also use them for sowing broad beans and sugar snap peas.

If you only have two leaves at the top of the stem they are the seed leaves so shouldn't be pinched out until more leaves appear.

I don't plant sweet peas out that have been started under glass until after the danger of frosts has passed but you could cover them with a cloche or some fleece if there are frost warnings.

Here in Scotland I leave planting out sweet peas until all fear of frosts has gone. Brr. As soon as it stops snowing I'll plant them in the unheated greenhouse and transfer to the garden when the soil warms up which could be May. I like to pick sweet peas in August.

I have the loo rolls too!