Grass and Sweet Peas

twopenny

Two things I've not had to consider before and searching the net brings up conflicting answers so I'd appreciate some experience and know how.

Sweet Peas I usually end up buying as I have friend, a competition grower, who sells of his surplus & someone who does wonderful plants at a car boot. Obviously neither will happen this year so I'm having to go self sufficient.

I've saved some Sweet Pea seeds from last year and want some in the ground and some in a pot. When should I plant them? Can they go straight in to both or either or should I grow thems in small pots to plant out? Should I have planted in November as I used to read or is not too early for them?

Further to my moss and weed lawn, the grass is growing strongly and now equals the moss as I haven't been able to deal with it.

To get the best growth from the grass should I top it with the lawn mower on the highest setting or leave it be? Which would make it grow the strongest to reduce the weeds?

When should I start raking the moss? Anytime or is there an optimum time please?

Farway

Sweet peas, personally I'd go for pot sown, reason being mice love sweet peas seeds and slugs love sweet peas tender shoots

Depends how much space you have regarding too early, they do get leggy PDQ, I think the overwinter ideas are for the show types, if you just want some in the garden then staggered sowing from now on would be fine

Grass, I'd leave it be until weather & general plant growth improves, keep an eye open for weed seedlings popping up or buds greening, too cold and / or too wet,at least it is here

twopenny

Thank you farway. I'll be patient for now then but helps to have reasoning behind it.
I've been sitting looking and wondering for what seems like forever as the garden is visible from the sofa for ages. The big pot i could ignore but staring at the space and trellis I put in and my fingers itch.
Grass is a new venture. Usually cut all year round. I'll clean and sharpen the mower instead.

donemedosh

you can sow sweetpea seeds now in deep cell trays or as i have used in the past old toilet / kitchen roll cores. I grow sweetpeas every year and I usually do 3 lots 1 just after xmas second in Febuary & third end of march all done from a cold frame never had a problem. However make sure they get as much light as possible or as Farway said they go leggy very quickly. As for the grass leave it alone for now & i would get rid of the moss with a liquid moss killer & grass feed applied end of feb early march then once moss goes black rake it & then cut. Put mower on a high setting.

twopenny

Great, thanks for the advice.

I did see, for the first time, about sowing in sucession but that was the competition site. I might just do that with toilet roll middles. First as soon as I've got the gate painted near where I put my seedlings. Had to get rid of the cold frame as this garden is just too hot & small for it. But the side alley works well.