In the winter - I think as a gardener I am prone to moments of utter madness. A case in point was at the start of this year when I was ordering my sweet pea seeds - a leaflet appeared with the words - buy 4 packets get 1 packet free - and I succumbed. (Sigh)
Last year I had two very successful tepees of sweet peas in the veg garden. They bloomed for months - and I was able to fill my own vases and the vases of several friends. It was such a joy, a meditation to go and pick the sweet peas first thing every morning.
Of course this bliss-full memory meant I ordered far more than I realistically need - however I do have friends who will be happy to take some plants off my hands.
So now I am planting seeds for this year ….. lots of them. I tend to plant them in the spring as we are in a high rainfall area and they can get a bit waterlogged and forgotten over the winter.
Each year I seem to treat the seeds differently and unless I write it down, I don’t remember if I nicked them, soaked them or popped them straight into the compost. This year - I am trying to be a bit more scientific - and I have divided each packet into two. Half the seeds have been soaked and half have been put straight into compost - with any luck I will remember to note which does best - but probably come the summer, I will have forgotten which was which - and hopefully my morning meditation will be picking the sweet peas!
Tell me - what do you do with sweet pea seeds, are you a
A Soak-er
A Nicker
or a Pop them straight in
type of person ?
I grow sweetpeas, but must plant them in the fall because of the heat here in the Deep South. I soak the seeds before planting them and have always had a bumper crop.
Jan Always Growing
I’m a soaker. After soaking the seeds overnight, I plant them in the ground in the late fall (the ground doesn’t freeze in Austin). They usually sprout in a couple of weeks. I love sweet peas and try different ones every year. Unfortunately, they do not like the Texas heat very much.
I plop them right in. What should you really do?
i plop em straight in too. And I’m a fellow sweetpea addict. i have.. *goes to count*… 6 envelopes of the things. i love em. i’ve a very long border fence and i’m planning to grow sweetpeas up against almost all of it!! no such thing as too many sweetpeas…
keth
xx
I usually dampen a paper towel, fold it in half, and put the seeds in the middle. Then I fold plastic wrap around it, and put this nice flat package on top of something warm for 24 hrs, usually my cable box. I have good luck with this method for both sweet peas and morning glories. Then I plant the seeds into the ground outside, once they have sprouted. Sometimes if they haven’t sprouted I’ll leave 48 hrs or even a little more.
I got my first sweet pea seeds this year. I believe mine were pelleted so I just planted them and they have all sprouted already.
I have never grown sweet peas. They are so pretty, guess I will give it a try this spring. The colors are lovely.
I’m a sweet pea novice too! I shall grow them on the allotment this year ,when I get round to buying any! That’s another stunning image you posted.
What about everlasting sweet peas? I had them in my last garden and they just came up every year and climbed up a shrub (sorry don’t know what it was). Saves having the dilema of soaking, nicking or just plopping straight in!!
I use milk jugs and the WinterSowing technique on mine. Works like a charm!
Or
Wintersowing forum
You should give it a try.
those are just lovely………i don’t grow them and think thst it must be too hot for them here in ga….am i right?
xo
I soak, nick, and plop . . . depending on the seed. But what a good idea starting the seeds in the paper towel holders!
I’m a soaker. This year I soaked them and they appeared a week later. I love Sweet Peas - and your photo of them is lovely.
/Katarina