Grow Your Own Magazine

Hello all. I've decided I would like to grow a few sweet peas by the side of the shed this year. I've always liked the look and smell of them, but know nothing about them. Are there especially smelly ones? What preparation of the ground is needed? Do the seeds need special treatment? (i've heard they need a soak. How long? Why?) Do they need a lot of LTC? Any advice would be much appreciated, thanks

I grew sweetpeas fairly successfully a couple of years ago but last year none germinated. If you go for the old fashioned types (just read the packet) you will find the scented ones. About the only thing I remember doing that might count as TLC was making sure they were watered (they were in growbags on the patio) and pick the flowers off daily to keep them flowering.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

I grow tons every year (autumn sown and spring sown) and I would suggest:

• use rootrainers or toilet roll insides (they hate being distrubed when transplanted, don't we all )
• pinch out tip (unless growing cordons*) when six or so leaves have shown
• help them to train up the net to start with
• water often
• feed with tomato food
• cut the flowers as often as possible, if they go to seed the live span is reduced considerably

*cordon style are usually grown for exhibiton flowers as they produce much longer flower stems and is obviously more tome-consuming

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aka
Suzie

I have some tiddlers germinating right now. They are fairly fuss free as long as you don't let the picking get on top of you. From a spring sowing last year I picked my last (small) bunch in November. Really rewarding.

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Tues 02/12/2008......End of year report!.....

clever sweetpeas

oops - type in haste repent in embarrassment

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aka
Suzie

Hi there,
I'd recommend Cupani, it's a really strong smell and when you bring them indoors after cutting you can really smell the glorious perfume! On the packets it will usually tell you the strong scented ones and the ones not so scented, have you any seed catalogues? It's worth having a look in there at them to get an idea of scents and colour. I grow about 8 packets of sweet peas every year - I love them!!!

don't bother with the scented mixes that you can buy - I've never found them that smelly. go to a good specalist and they will sell varieties that are good for scent.

at the back end of the year if there are any that you particularly like tie some bright wool (not Green - you won't see it !) around the stem and let them go to seed then you can save your own seed for next year as they are self fertile prior to opening

Here's a few places to try

Roger Parsons Sweet Peas
Owl's Acre Sweet Peas : sweet pea flower seed - Lathyrus odoratus
Matthewmans Sweetpeas

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/