Please excuse the rather naive question, but we mostly grow veg rather than flowers! This year we planted some sweet peas, which flourished. Where they used to be we've now planted spring cabbage. But amongst the cabbage seedlings we've got lots of sweet pea volunteers.
It seems a shame to treat them as weeds. Will they overwinter successfully where they are? Or would we need to move them under glass cloches?
Thanks
Sweet peas generally survive winter cold, but are at risk from dessicating wind and waterlogged soil conditions, plus the usual hazards of slugs etc. Depending on their state of development, it may be possible to ease them out and pot them.If you can accomodate them individually,or in small groups in 3" pots then you may be ahead of the game come March.
It has to be said that they may well have cross- pollinated, so the resulting blooms may disappoint,or be the next cup winner.!
Serious sweet pea growers will plant out 9"-12" apart and feed & train their plants to extreme perfection.I have seen such plants that have individual leaflets as large as my size 11 hands.
Provided the roots do not freeze sweet pea plants are hardy, provided you do not have them inside and then suddenly put them out. The pea family do come true from seed and need a fair amount of work to cross pollinate for new varieties. I know some vegetable exhibitors who have saved their own seed for many years and I often save sweet pea seed.