Thinking of summer: sweet peas

It may seem ridiculously early to be thinking about plans for next year but it always pays to plan ahead, as long as we are ready to change those plans according to the seasons. One of the jobs I have remembered this year, as I have been busy making my raised beds in the veg garden and preparing for laying paving on the new patio, is to sow my sweet peas.

Sweet peas are one of those traditional garden flowers that are easy to grow but not so easy to grow well, rather like fuchsias and pelargoniums. You can sow a few seeds in spring and plant them out in the garden and they will give you colour and scent for many weeks. I did that myself this spring and they were delightful, but not as good as in previous years when I prepared the garden and the plants.

For the best results you need to sow now and give them special care next year. Many of us have a bit more time right now and it is so rewarding to grow sweet peas well, so you have premium blooms on long stems, perfect for cutting. Sow the seeds this month and keep the young seedlings in a cold greenhouse or cold frame. It is best not to soak the seeds before sowing. It is often recommended to soak the seeds since sweet peas have hard seed coat that prevents water absorption. But if soaked too long the seeds can ‘drown’ so it is best not to soak them. If you want to chip the seeds, nicking out a tiny bit of the seed coat on the side opposite the ‘eye’ you can do that but be careful you do not cut yourself. Sow the seeds 1cm deep, one per small pot or cell. I use either John Innes or a mix of multipurpose and John Innes but it is not too critical. Sow the seeds – I put them on the surface and poke them in with a pencil – water well and keep warm and moist. At this time of year, normal temperatures are perfect – it only needs to be above 10c. But you can keep them on the windowsill to germinate the seeds.

Once the seedlings are up they must be kept cool and in a light spot. The seedlings are almost hardy but need protection from winter wet and cold. But we are not trying to produce tall, thin plants before planting time in March. We want to produce short, stocky plants with good roots. The advantage of autumn sowing over spring sowing is that the plants will have good root systems in spring so that when they are planted out they get off to a great start.

The secret then is to keep the plants alive in winter. Just keep them cool and light. Do not allow them to dry out and make sure you protect them against mice which will eat them if given the chance.

When the shoots have about five leaves, pinch out the growing tip. Each seedling will then produce three or four side shoots which will actually be stronger and better than the original shoot.

The traditional way to then grow them is as ‘cordons’ – single stems tied to canes. When the plants get to the top of the canes the plants are all untied and layered along the rows so they can grow up the canes again. This will give you the longest flowering season and the best flowers – ready for the flower shows that (we hope) will be held next year.

Jobs for the week

Mowing

If the weather allows, and it is not too wet underfoot, take the chance to do the last cut of the year. Raise the height of cut on the mower. As well as tidying the lawn this will remove the fallen leaves on the grass. If left they will smother the grasses and cause fungal diseases and also encourage worms, which, though beneficial in the garden, are not of benefit on the lawn.

Roses

Trim back, but do not hard prune, roses and other quick-growing shrubs that bloom in late summer, such as buddleias. This is to prevent damage from wind in winter.

Fruit

Prepare your site for fruit planting this winter and spring. Dig over the soil, mixing in organic matter. With the exception of strawberries, most fruit will be in the soil for many years so good soil preparation is important.

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