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Post by farmersboy on Oct 15, 2008 6:17:47 GMT
Right....so I' ll start some straight into the pot and put some in the mini GH and hope for the best ;D You cant lose that way,MRH ;D |
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Post by Missredhead on Oct 15, 2008 8:02:13 GMT
I'll get round to it this weekend for definite
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Post by purplejulia on Oct 15, 2008 9:51:42 GMT
I am going to plant mine this weekend too. I have so many seeds to choose from left over from last year bought from Eagles and Simply Sweet Peas.
PJ
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Post by Spruance on Oct 16, 2008 12:25:49 GMT
I can now breathe a sigh of relief as my sweet pea seed arrived yesterday, so I am back on schedule for sowing this weekend.
Whilst on the subject, I know that some schools of thought suggest soaking the seeds overnight before sowing, and even nicking the seed with a sharp knife to get them started.
I don't do either of these things and still have high germination rates so I suppose it comes down to personal preference. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
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Post by Jasmine on Oct 16, 2008 14:11:13 GMT
I read in AG last year that soaking or nicking the seed was a good idea so I soaked mine. They nearly all germinated so I am going to do the same this year. I have never tried planting them straight from the packet, I did give it a thought but don't like to change things if they've worked previously!  |
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Post by farmersboy on Oct 16, 2008 15:20:08 GMT
I can now breathe a sigh of relief as my sweet pea seed arrived yesterday, so I am back on schedule for sowing this wekend. Whilst on the subject, I know that some schools of thought suggest soaking the seeds overnight before sowing, and even nicking the seed with a sharp knife to get them started. I don't do either of these things and still have high germination rates so I suppose it comes down to personal preference. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Im with you on this one spruance,ive never soaked or nicked s p seeds,no probs with germination |
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Post by Spruance on Oct 16, 2008 19:03:41 GMT
I read in AG last year that soaking or nicking the seed was a good idea so I soaked mine. They nearly all germinated so I am going to do the same this year. I have never tried planting them straight from the packet, I did give it a thought but don't like to change things if they've worked previously! That's partly the aim of this thread Jasmine, learning what others do. If it works for you then go for it. |
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Post by Ladygardener on Oct 17, 2008 5:26:17 GMT
I've done both with no visible results. Not last year but in previous years I'd always soaked but never chitted them. Last year I did'nt soak them overnight on kitchen paper. Think it was more a case of I had the opportunity to sow them and took it rather than anything else. I was'nt going to soak this year either. It is an interesting point tho Spru as so many people swear by it. |
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Post by Auricula on Oct 17, 2008 9:58:18 GMT
Told you you'd be ok Spruance I soak mine just for a short time ( I'm too disorganised to remember to do it overnight ) while I am getting the pots and compost ready |
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Post by Jasmine on Oct 17, 2008 14:04:39 GMT
Planted my sweetpeas today. Soaked them overnight and planted 5 seeds to a 5" pot. This year I am going to sow some sweetpea seeds in spring too. (Well, it'll be next year by then! ;D)
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Post by Ladygardener on Oct 17, 2008 20:49:35 GMT
You're all ahead of me, I hope to get mine done this weekend. ;D Jasmine did you save and sow your own seed?
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Post by Jasmine on Oct 17, 2008 20:56:56 GMT
No I didn't LNG. I wasn't very impressed with the colours I got this year - they were all quite dark. There were lots of shades of purple and not much else. So I am trying again with Cuthbertsons Mixed. One year when I am very organised I will choose packets of my favourite colours rather than taking a chance with one packet of mixed colours! |
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Post by Ladygardener on Oct 17, 2008 21:01:34 GMT
I know what you mean Jasmine, I had mixed ones this year after years of having all the same colour and you know it was lovely to have such delicate shades for a change.
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Post by Jasmine on Oct 18, 2008 5:03:35 GMT
That's what I am after this year LNG - delicate shades. Hopefully with lots of shades of pink and lilac! |
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Post by Missredhead on Oct 18, 2008 15:30:31 GMT
sowed mine today...Mrs B something or other in the big pot that will stay outside and Ashton something in the mini GH.
As you will have noticed I'm not very good with names and have probably got them totally wrong.
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Post by purplejulia on Oct 18, 2008 17:27:34 GMT
I sowed some of mine today too. I bought them from Eagle Sweet Peas last year. I had so many seeds that I still have loads left over from various sources. I may do another load tomorrow as have lots of space in my mini greenhouse.
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Post by Spruance on Oct 18, 2008 21:38:43 GMT
I am intending to sow my own sweet peas tomorrow (Sunday) but as my methodology is perhaps not mainstream, I thought I would also repeat the RHS advice which is as follows:- Sowing. Seeds are usually sown in deep pots of seed compost, spacing them 2-3cm (1in) apart. Alternatively they can be sown in root trainers or grow tubes (deep containers for individual seeds). Chip the hard seed coat opposite the 'eye' (small, round scar) (right) using a sharp penknife, to help moisture entry and germination. Don't soak the seeds as they are prone to rotting.  Sow seeds 1cm (0.5in) deep, water in, cover with glass and keep at about 15°C (59°F). Once seedlings have emerged the glass can be removed and they can be transferred to a cold frame. This is as far as I will get tomorrow (apart from the chipping which I don't do), and I will endeavour to post my own details on Sunday evening. |
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Post by Ladygardener on Oct 19, 2008 9:55:52 GMT
Have sown my sp today. In toilet roll inners as usual. Normally I have difficulty keeping them up straight and over the years have used different things to help them sit up. Not all of which were successfull. This year I'd saved one of those polysterine things the pansies came in. 48 cells and I've popped a toilet roll inner into each one. Really does seem to keep them steady.
I've sowed 16 Blue Ripple
16 Bright and Breezy mixed
8 fragrantissima from saved seeds on my own flowers this year
8 fragrantissima left over from last years packet.
Sown in ordinary B&Q compost and they're sitting on the windowledge outside which is where they will live until they go into the ground. Good luck everyone, it's great to see so many people sowing these lovely flowers. ;D
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Post by Ruthie on Oct 19, 2008 18:17:39 GMT
Oooh. I wish I had room for some SPs, but I really don't  |
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Post by Spruance on Oct 19, 2008 18:23:20 GMT
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Post by Ladygardener on Oct 19, 2008 18:56:33 GMT
SR I grew ordinary sp in a big tub by the front door this year. Now they did get really big but they bloomed well. It really depends if you can put it somewhere sheltered so it does'nt blow away if we get another awful summer.  |
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Post by Spruance on Oct 19, 2008 21:31:25 GMT
Ok, with my apologies to the purists, this is how I sowed my sweet peas this afternoon...... 1 ). This is what I consider to be  the essential equipment. Obviously the sweet pea seeds, but also a dibber to make the holes, a large plastic saucer and a pair of tweezers. More on these later. I should perhaps also say at this point that before I started I thoroughly washed the pots and trays I would be using in hot soapy water with a dash of bleach added for good measure just to kill off any lurking nasties. ++ 2). I use B&Q multi-purpose  compost which has a good consistency, but quite a few lumps and twiggy bits which are not ideal for sowing seed, so I always sieve the compost before I start. There is no need at this stage to use composts with additional nutrients such as John Innes as everything that the seed needs to grow, apart from the moisture, is contained in the seed itself. ++ 3.) The sieved compost is  much easier to work with, and the lumps aren't wasted. These will be used at a later date as a base filler for outdoor tubs and troughs. ++ 4.) Next I add some water  and mix the compost by hand until a handful gripped loosely forms a shape, like this. ++ 5). This is where my method  differs from the convention as I start off all of my sweet peas in standard seed trays. Just loosely fill the tray with the moistened compost and firm lightly. I use a specially cut piece of wood to do this but the back of the hand works just as well. ++ 6). Use the dibber to make  holes roughly one inch (2.5cm) apart and one inch (2.5cm) deep. Using this method I can get 48 seeds into a standard seed tray. ++ 7.) It doesn't have to look  like a cribbage board but if you can get the rows reasonably straight it makes sowing that much easier. ++ 8). I don't like to see solid  blocks of colour on the fence so to achieve a fairly random colour scheme I empty up to five packets (of ten seeds each) into a large plastic saucer and swirl them around to mix them up. ++ 9). Having large hands I find  it very fiddly to deal with sweet pea seeds, so rather than have them catapult across the greenhouse I use a pair of tweezers for sowing which makes life so much easier. ++ 10). Having sown the seed it is  of course necessary to cover it. I use the sieve as this ensures that the holes are completely - and loosely - filled with light material. ++ 11). I do not firm the new layer  of compost as this could impede the growth of the seedlings. This just leaves labelling with what I have sown, how many, and the date. ++ 12). Another popular method of  sowing sweet peas involves the use of a large pot. This one is a 2 litre, but anything of similar size will do. 13). Use the dibber to make  evenly spaced holes of around one inch (2.5cm) deep, and after sowing cover loosely with compost as before. The advantage of using plant pots is that the deeper root run allows the seedlings to stay in situ in the pot for that much longer. ++ 14). Matthewmans are quite  generous with their packet contents, and 19 packets of ten seeds actually produced 213 seeds which necessitated the use of four standard seed trays and two 2 litre pots. After sowing, I placed the seed trays and pots in gravel trays filled to a depth of a quarter of an inch (6mm) with water, and placed plastic covers over the top to keep the soil warm and keep the moisture in. This should mean that no further watering is required until the seed germinates in two to three weeks time, dependent on ambient temperatures as the greenhouse is not heated. ++ 15). Obviously I am not  intending to leave the seedlings permanently in the seed trays. I just find that this method maximises germination. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, say three inches (7.5cm) high, they will be pricked out into individual pots. I use Wilkinsons' 'breeding pots' which as you can see are slightly larger than a teacup. Then it is just a question of nipping out the tops throughout the winter, which I will cover nearer the time. |
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Post by Auricula on Oct 19, 2008 22:31:32 GMT
Wow!! Thanks Spruance, that was very illuminating |
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Post by purplejulia on Oct 19, 2008 23:11:27 GMT
Oh Spru - how can you swirl all those seeds around so they get all mixed up. I have carefully labelled each pot - 2 seeds to each root trainer. i must have used about 18 varieties.
I use John Innes Seed compost - which is probably a waste of money as I didn't know all the nutrients were in the seeds themselves. But I didn't bother to sieve it, but picked out the lumps by hand.
I enjoyed reading your post and seeing photos of the various stages. I am very impressed with the trouble you have taken for all us sweet pea addicts.
PJ
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Post by JennyWrenn on Oct 20, 2008 6:08:13 GMT
May I suggest you have a lid to put over the dish - last year (I remember why I didnt have any sweet peas flowering now in June ) after soaking them overnight I took them out into the garden to sow and the wind blew them clean out of my dish and into my gravel path - no chance of finding them
I was so annoyed with myself
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Post by farmersboy on Oct 20, 2008 17:55:51 GMT
May I suggest you have a lid to put over the dish - last year (I remember why I didnt have any sweet peas flowering now in June ) after soaking them overnight I took them out into the garden to sow and the wind blew them clean out of my dish and into my gravel path - no chance of finding them I was so annoyed with myself They grow better if you sow them in soil Jen ;D |
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Post by Spruance on Oct 20, 2008 18:21:16 GMT
May I suggest you have a lid to put over the dish - last year (I remember why I didnt have any sweet peas flowering now in June ) after soaking them overnight I took them out into the garden to sow and the wind blew them clean out of my dish and into my gravel path - no chance of finding them I was so annoyed with myself That's the advantage of sowing in a greenhouse JW. Once ensconced in there with everything I needed the only place the seed could go was on the bare concrete floor.  |
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Post by Tig on Oct 20, 2008 18:52:40 GMT
My first sowing of saved seeds are showing today - that was a bit quick!
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Post by Ladygardener on Oct 21, 2008 4:39:01 GMT
Oh my goodness germination already Tig that is quick. When did you sow them? |
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Post by Biggles on Oct 21, 2008 9:14:05 GMT
These are my sweetpeas still growing strong, from a Spring sowing. I think I will do the same next year--sow Feb/March in tubes and then when about 4" high I nipped the tops out.  Photograph taken-17th October 2008 |
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