Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Sweet pea question?

i am trying to grow sweet peas...i soaked the seeds overnight,planted about 6 in each pot,gave them water and left them....they have now shot up to about 25\30 cm,and need to know what to do with them now....they have been in my untility room since seeding them,,,,anyone help?

Sweet pea question?
Sweet peas are one of the easiest flowering annuals to start from seed because you can direct seed them into the garden. Give them a site with full to partial sun and deep, rich, loamy, moist, but well-drained soil. Add plenty of organic matter (compost, well-rotted manure, leaf mold, or humus) to enrich the soil and make it easier to work.





This annual climber is most successful when you start the seeds during cooler seasons. In the warmer parts of western North America, you can sow the seeds from August on to maximize winter and spring flowering. Although sweet peas can be killed back by hard freezes, they are reasonably cold hardy and can take frost without much damage to plants. In western regions with cooler night temperatures bloom time will extend further into the summer months.





In the drier and colder mid-west and the colder parts of Canada, start sweet peas early indoors for transplanting into the garden, or sow them directly into the garden very early in spring.





In the American south, you can sow seed in November or December for early spring flowers.





Sweet peas need about 50 days of cool temperatures – under 60ºF (15ºC) to bloom gloriously in your garden.





Although the seeds have a hard seed coat, there's no evidence that soaking them before sowing will increase your germination rate, however, carefully nicking the outside seed coating does speed and increase germination. You can easily do this by using a nail clipper to score the seed coat.





Sweet pea seeds will germinate in soil at temperatures of 55º to 65ºF (13º to 18ºC). In cold winter areas, plan to sow them outdoors as soon as the soil can be worked – up to six weeks before the last frost date.











Plant seeds in holes that are about two inches deep. Drop two to four seeds per hole, with holes spaced four to six inches apart. Water thoroughly and keep soil moist until seeds have sprouted. You should see germination in about 10 to 21 days.





Once the seedlings are growing, water regularly to promote strong, healthy growth. When the seedlings are three to four inches high, thin them out, leaving the most vigorous-looking plants four to six inches apart. Once the plants have been thinned, mulch them well; a four- to six-inch layer of organic mulch will keep the roots cool and extend the growing season.





Sowing seeds each week over several weeks will further extend the time you get to enjoy their flowers.





Avoid over-fertilizing or you'll wind up with lots of green leaves but few flowers. A sprinkling of balanced 20-20-20 slow release fertilizer or generous shovel of compost or well-rotted manure blended into the soil at planting time works well for initial plant development.





Alternatively, organic fertilizers are also excellent for sweet peas. Additional mulching with composted manure will help retain soil moisture and provide nutrients for strong plant growth and flowering.





If you don't cut blooms regularly, deadhead the plant as soon as flowers fade. Removing spent blooms will give you more flowers.
Reply:One inch deep will do it.


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