Sweet peas

suey2

Morning all,

Hope someone can help me with a quick question, we haven't grown sweet peas for a couple of years, but bought some lovely metal obelisks this year so thought we could climb some up. Have used seeds I took a couple of years ago and to my amazement they have mostly all come up and are doing really well, have pinched out the tips twice now.!! arghh:eek: hate doing it.! but they are still getting quite high so need supporting so my question is could we plant them out now, or should we wait till end of may.? I read in my old gardening book that you could sow out side now but it didn't mention when to plant out greenhouse grown ones. Many thanks for any advice.

Sue

Lotus-eater

As long as they are hardened off, I would think they should be fine outside now.

suey2

Hiya Lotus,

Many thanks for your reply, think I will put some out this weekend it's getting so busy in the greenhouse now they are taking up space we need for the other plants and veg.

Thanks Sue~

Lotus-eater

I've got some inside germinating and as soon as I see a bit of green, the whole lot is going out. As long as it's not some really cold night or something.

morg_monster

hi i have a sweet pea question; I planted mine about 3 weeks ago, they are coming on nicely. I have pinched out the tips and they are growing nicely from the side shoots now. You said you had pinched out a couple of times now - where else do you pinch out? Is it the side shoots once they get a couple of leaves?

lutink

mine have been outdoors for 3 weeks and are going strong, have grown LOADS! so i'll be leaving them there!!

suey2

Morg monster,

I dont usually pinch out the side shoots as well but this year the sweetpeas have been growing like mad even after I pinched the tops out, the side shoots then grew to about 5 inches so I pinched those out as well... not sure if I should really have done that but mine now have another set of side shoots as well.!!!

Sue~

foxgloves

My sweetpeas were sown in November in an unheated greenhouse and after 3 or 4 nights sitting outside, I planted them out about 10 days ago. They look fine and despite the cold nights are already growing nicely up the obelisks.

adj_2

Sorry, complete gardening novice here.
Have just planted some sweet peas in pots (already grown courtesy of the local garden centre!). Have just read previous posts - what on earth is 'pinching the tips'? Should I be doing this? How? Why? !!!
All advice gratefully received. We have just moved in to our house and I am desperately trying to cheer up our back garden, but have no gardening know-how at all!:)

NoelleV

I'm not sure abuot the pinching out thing either. If someone could explain that would be fab!

Also can I grow peas/ mangetout in the same pot as sweet peas? I love sweet pea flowers but I'm a bit short on space and want to get my peas growing too.

Thanks

ALIBOBSY

If you want bushy sweetpeas you pinch off the bit of the top of the shoot to encourage it to form sideshoots and become more bushy. If you are happy just to have upright shoots eg up a tall frame or pole you can just leave them alone to do their own thing.

ali x