Sweet Peas

strowan1, Aug 22, 2:19am
Sweet Pea Seedlings. Could someone please tell me if it's too early to sow Sweet Pea seedlings outside in South Canterbury. Still having frosts, would be better to delay planting? Thank you.
beebs, Aug 22, 2:51am
i have brought them off here, 25 plants for 6.00 (buy now 8.00) and they are healthy and are already looking good
strowan1, Aug 22, 4:34am
Many thanks for that, will get on and get them planted.
redhead96, Aug 22, 4:53am
I left my plants to die down from last year now I have self seeded ones.
beebs, Aug 22, 5:50am
No worries
melonhead1, Aug 22, 9:43am
Autumn and spring are the best times for sowing. Many varieties a best sown in Autumn so they flower in spring before the summer heat does them in.
As always, check the packet for the best varieties for the time.
brightlights60, Aug 22, 9:49am
Love them, but must admit I buy the seedlings now instead of using seeds. Cover up my 8ft tin fence down the back and wind into the neighbours huge Magnolia tree. Each year I do different colours. Last year I do red and white alternatively and it looked fab.
summersunnz, Aug 22, 12:00pm
I was told recently that they look amazing climbing the trunk of a cabbage tree - I'm going to wrap netting around one of my trees loosely, then train them up that. be great to see them climbing up my very tall tree.
wendalls, Aug 23, 5:44am
Sounds interesting everyone! Do they require much feeding to flower nicely? I have some old seeds. I should plant some. also have a cabbage tree by our pool. And heaps of boring fence line. Heavy clay soil though. Would that work?
macandrosie, Aug 23, 7:55pm
Start some off inside. You need to soak the seeds overnight in warm water to help the outer crust on the pod to soften.
melonhead1, Aug 24, 8:03am
Yes, soak and direct sow and you won't go wrong.
brightlights60, Aug 25, 11:12am
Being continuously flowering, they do require food (mine are grown on the back edge of the vege garden, so full of compost) and they need regular watering too. Our best ones were last summer which was a very long, hot summer. So you might want to put a bit of good compost there, and heap up some lawn clippings (nitrogen) and a soak hose or similar. I love the old fashioned sweet smell. I ordered some black ones off here for this year.
wessex, Sep 9, 3:34am
Have had a pretty bad year and the garden has been on the back burner. I have just kept it tidy with little new planting. I haven't planted any sweet pea seeds so I guess it is to late now.would I be best getting some seedlings in. Can't have a summer without sweet peas. Thanks
charie4, Sep 9, 4:19am
No you can plant them now.
lillol, Sep 9, 7:41pm
I just planted some last weekend and they are already germinating :)
issymae, Sep 9, 8:36pm
started some indoors a couple of weeks ago; already 4 -5 incheshigh
wessex, Sep 10, 1:37am
Great. Wasn't sure as usually I am on to it but I am really grateful for your advice and will plant them as soon as they've had their little soak.
harrislucinda, Sep 10, 3:06am
same here have self sown and now just put 2 packets of seeds in
macandrosie, Sep 10, 7:19am
I try to sow some in the autumn but didn't this season, so started some indoors - will plant our in the next week or two. It just means they flower slightly later. They are not frost tender so even in Southland you can sow straight into the ground in Autumn and they sit over the winter and come away when the weather warms up.
firebirds, Sep 10, 8:02am
the sweet peas I was after are on there way god help NZ Post if they loose them
tui93, Sep 10, 8:17am
Put in 2 lots of seeds this year and no joy, so we've just planted some seedlings.
hotstuff111, Sep 10, 10:15am
we just brought 3 trays of them from miter 10 they look good
wessex, Oct 18, 8:46pm
They are just so gorgeous could 'nt have a summer without them. They remind me of my mother. We moved last year and the new owner has pulled out every plant in my old garden. It's just a soulless space now. The worst part was she pulled out my lily of the valley that had taken about 20 years to find a plant to grow. Ho hum that's life.