sweet peas

[rdak]

I have grown some sweet peas for the 1st time- sown in October and I was planning on planting them out in May after the frosts have gone. However, they are currently in a cold greenhouse in those biodegradeable tubes and they are flopping over, presumably due to lack of support. What should I do- plant outside or will they get killed by the frost...or transfer into large pots and give them some support?  

[Mrs Ava]

Ross, have you pinched them back?  You should pinch the growing tips out after the....I think it is 3rd pair of true leaves.  This encourages more flowering shoots.  This will also make them a bit more stable in their pots.  

[rdak]

yep, pinched out the growing tips when they had about 4 or 6 leaves (can't remember) back in November/December.

[Mrs Ava]

wow, and they are growing that well that they are all floppy.  You's a good grower  .  Well, they are hardy aren't they, so, I guess, if the weather is okay, get them out and planted.  Now, someone is going to come along and say - no EJ, they are not hardy....hmmm.... well I guess the other thing you could do is use those little thin green split canes and support each one loosely with string....  :-/

[Palustris]

Sweet peas are hardy, but if they have been in the shelter of a g/house even without heat, it would be wise to harden them off gradually before planting out. Even then I would get ready to cover with newspaper or fleece if a really hard frost was predicted, leastways until they were settled in  and growing. Might be worth warming the planting soil with plastic or fleece first too, but not essential.

[campanula]

yep,palustris. i agree. i would bung a bit of fleece around them, but there is no rush to get in the ground is there? i would leave in pots for another coupla weeks - mine flop everywhere but once they are in the ground and supported, no probs.

[allotment_chick]

Hi Ross - they ones in my cold frame were going the same way, so I just pinched tham back again - with the day length now getting longer the new shoots they are putting out are sturdier.  Might be worth a try?
AC