Get Planting .... sweet peas to start the season

One of the nation’s favourite flowers, sweet peas are easy to raise. Their ability to germinate at fairly low temperatures means that given a bit of warmth to aid germination they can be started off in a greenhouse now to yield larger plants that are better able to get off to a flying start when planted out in spring.

Modern breeding means there’s no need to chip and pre-soak seed before sowing. Either sow the seed in pots or trays and then prick out the seedlings, transferring into 7.5cm (3in) pots, or Rootrainer units, which are like elongated, modular cell trays with grooved sides which slot into a support framework (see step 1 in the panel). Each unit of four cells can be pulled apart, enabling the rootball to be removed without damage. You can also sow directly into the Rootrainer units. The grooves encourage roots to grow down and not circle the pot, aiding establishment. If using Rootrainer units you can sow two seeds per cell – sowing more than one means you have an insurance policy for seeds that don’t germinate! Maintain a temperature of

10C (50F) and keep the seedlings moist, but not wet. The temperature can be reduced once seedlings are growing away.

When the shoots are 10cm (4in) tall, pinch out the growth points to encourage sideshoots and when the plants start actively growing give them a weak liquid feed once a week, supporting the shoots with short stakes to prevent tangling.

Two to three weeks before planting out harden off the plantlets in a cold frame or place them outdoors during the day for increasingly longer periods of time until they become accustomed to outdoor temperatures, then plant in their final positions on a framework of canes, trellis or pea netting.