September 2021 - Growing Sweet Peas
The Club’s first monthly meeting back in our “spiritual home” Catisfield Memorial Hall took place on Thursday 10 September 2021 almost 18 months since the previous meeting at that location because of Covid-19.
The Club had to cap attendance to a maximum of 50 persons being allowed in the hall and an on-line
booking system was introduced. We had 31 Members attend and they enjoyed a combined talk by Jim and Mary McDonald on “Growing Sweet Peas for Exhibition & Pleasure”. There can be no one more experienced in growing Sweet Peas than this couple who have held a variety of posts within the National Sweet Peas Society with Jim growing these flowers for 55 years and heading up both the RHS and Sparsholt College Sweet Pea Trials Team looking at and developing new Sweet Pea Varieties. This couple have won many prizes up and down the country for their Sweet Peas. They grow them in their own garden for cut flowers and they have an allotment where they grow the flowers to produce seed and a good range of seed was available to purchase on the night and Jim and Mary sold quiet a few packets and so their flowers will be growing locally next year! Jim presented how he successfully grows Sweet Peas and Mary covered how Sweet Peas can be arranged for shows etc.
Preparing the Ground
Jim explained that ground preparations are very important. The ground is completely cleared and he prepares the ground between November and January. Sweet peas love a rich, moist soil so he digs trenches and includes compost into the planting area to enrich the soil and hold moisture during dry weather. He also adds Vitax Q4, Sulphate of Potash and Chicken Manure pellets about 2 oz per square yard. He then leaves the ground alone until March when the elements will have broken down any rough areas of soil. He then rakes and levels out the top few inches of soil to get a nice fine tilth whilst at the same time working in Vitax Q4, Sulphate of Potash and Chicken Manure pellets about 2 oz per square yard.
Preparing the Seed
Jim recommends placing 3 layers of kitchen towel placed in a plastic box with a lid such as a sandwich box, Tupperware or takeaway food tub will be suitable. Add enough water to make the kitchen towel fully damp but without any standing water. Place the seeds on top of the damp paper, put a damp piece of kitchen roll on top and close the lid and place the box in a warm place – a boiler or airing cupboard is ideal. Check the seeds after 2 days and you should see that they have swollen up. Within 4-7 days the seeds will produce the small shoots of the root and growing tip – at this point the seeds are ready to be planted into compost. If there are seeds that have not swollen, use a sharp knife or file to make a small hole in the seed coat and return the seed to the damp paper.
Plant 2 seeds in a 75mm pot 12mm below the surface. Seeds are best grown in a multi-purpose compost. Jim recommends Jacks Magic or Sinclair with John Innes and Perlite added (1 part Perlite to 4 parts compost). The Perlite keeps the compost open and will help to protect the plant from frosts.
Once seedlings have appeared, grow on “hard” with no heat. They need protection from mice and extra insulation if the weather is extremely cold. Vermiculite can be placed on top of the soil to further protect from frost if necessary. Supply just enough moisture.
It is important that when the plants have 4 pairs of leaves you pinch out the growing point with the top set of leaves to encourage side shoots to form. These generally make a stronger stem than the original main shoot.
Timing of Sowing for Flowers
A sowing in early November will give you flowers in May. Sowing in January will give you flowers mid June to August whilst sowing at the end of January will give you flowers June to early September. Timings are subject to weather conditions. To have a succession of flowers keep cutting them and do not allow them to go to seed.
A further important tip is to cut off the tendrils with a pair of scissors weekly to prevent them clinging on to the flower stems.
Final Flowering Position
Plant out to final flowering positions as soon as weather and soil conditions are suitable - from early March in the south for us. Jim recommends a double row of Cordon Growing or Bush grown in a wigwam circle in each case using 6ft, 7ft or 8ft canes. When plants are healthy and strong remove from the pots knock out the whole root ball, which should be held together by the root growth, and plant to a little more than full depth with a trowel and gently firm soil around plant. If plants are more than 4” high time them loosely to the cane for support. An interesting tool for tying Sweet Peas to canes (which should be done every 150mm) is a garden gadget called the Tapetool Tapener which Jim showed us. It costs about £25 from Amazon but looks very useful indeed and of course can be used on all sorts of plants that need tying to sticks and posts.
Feeding & Watering
When plants are 1 metre high, start to feed with Tomorite and Miracle Grow using half the recommended strength. Apply Tomerite to the roots and Miracle Grow over the plants. Alternate between Tomerite one week and Miracle Grow the next. Water in during the evening. Do not let plants ever dry out.
Pests & Diseases
Slugs do damage Sweet Peas so use your usual method to protect your plants.
Greenfly – can do a lot of damage to Sweet Peas and the plants can be infected with a virus which gives the plant a mosaic appearance. Use a systemic insecticide. Roses usually receive greenfly first in the garden. When you see them on roses it is time to spray your Sweet Peas.
Jim’s Recommended Top Sweet Peas
Jim ended his talk with recommendations for his top 6 Sweet Peas. They are:
1. Gwendoline - magenta pink
2. Mrs Bernard Jones - pale rose pink
3. Mrs R Chisholm - white
4. Karen Louise - lavender
5. Sir Jimmy Shand - mauve stripe on white
6. Windsor - maroon
Another 5 of great interest are:
1. Kings Ransom - burnt orange
2. Joejess - orange/red
3. Olivia - pink stripe on white
4. Mary Mac - cream
5. Alec Cave - white, new for 2022