Planting out sweetpeas

[springbok]

Mine are nearly 2 foot tall now, always been in a cold frame and cold greenhouse, does that mean they are hardened off already.

Im desperate for the space in the greenhouse, can I plant them out yet?

[springbok]

[star]

I planted 1 out as a decider for the rest. Its been fine with no protection. Im in Northampton, so you can judge the weather conditions possibly to where you are

[springbok]

Im just down the road star near MK, so might just do that, see how one fairs outside, thank you :)

[flowerofshona2007]

Put mine outside under the shade area for a week to harden off then they are going in :) I will protect them for a week or so after they are in with some plastic sheeting so they get a chance to put their roots down :)

[carolinej]

Mine went out a week ago without hardening off and are OK. Saying that, I tend to be a mean gardener, letting things take their chances as the greenhouse gets fuller. I loose some , but not as much as the rules say I should.

cj :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

My guess is that it'll be OK now. The last easterly blast wasn't as cold, so the only danget is night frost. You can protect plants from that easily with fleece. My second planting is only just emerging,so they won't be going out just yet.

[Kea]

!!We were having frosts last week...just east of you.

[Robert_Brenchley]

So were we, but it was night frost, not the persistent sort. As I say, you can fleece to keep that off.

[morton]

Contrary to popular belief sweetpeas are quite hardy plants and are best grown in an open cold frame and not in a cold greenhouse let alone a heated one. Sow in November and leave them open to the elements only covering when we get the really hard daytime frosts that last for ages [ie like we used to get]. You get much stronger plants that way. You can also cover them when we get day after day of rain.
Mine were in an open topped cold frame all winter and have been planted out for over a month now.

[Toadspawn]

I agree with with Morton. My sweet peas were sown in Mid October in the GH and when about half an inch high they were put into an open cold frame. They were not covered all winter (no hard frosts like there used to be) and planted out about a month ago. They were pinched out to encouarge branching.
Springbokgirlie, I guess as your plants are so tall they have not been pinched out. If not, I would be tempted to reduce the size of the plants by at least half to two thirds to encourage branching. They should be OK planted out because they are very hardy and should not be molly-coddled.   

[PurpleHeather]

Get them out, the temperature wont hurt them but strong wind will.