[muddywellies]

I've bought a few packets of sweetpeas (all old-fashioned scented varieties) on eBay off a lovely lady who lives in Ireland. There was also a free packet from T&M on some rootrainers I bought at the weekend.

I know some folk say to plant the seeds in the Autumn and overwinter them and some say to wait until spring and plant 'in situ'. Am I too late to plant them now if I want to go with the overwintering option? Also, if I do plant them now do I keep them on a windowsill indoors until they've germinated and then put them out in my unheated workshop (on a bench under a south-west facing window); or plant them and put them straight into the workshop?

[Cynara]

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/factsheet/sweetpeas/
It does seem a bit late for the autumn sowing but why not sow a few now and the rest in pots in early spring and direct in situ. At least you'll be assured of a long succession

[WG.]

I agree with Cynara - hedge your bets.  Try just a few now (and then tell us all how they do), but I'd suggest you keep most for spring sowing.

[DD.]

I've tried over winter sowing & everytime they just go leggy on me. I get far more sturdy plants sown in the spring.

[Aunt Sally]

I generally sow in spring  

[SnooziSuzi]

Ive tried over winter sowing & everytime they just go leggy on me. I get far more strurdy plants sown in the spring.

Do you pinch them out DD?  I've read that if you pinch them out when they've got 6 leaves or so that they will be less leggy.... not sure if that's true though as I won't be pinching mine out until this weekend.

Does it make a difference if the greenhouse is heated or not?

[Selkie]

i always sow mine in the autumn (i'd think it's a bit too late now though but might be worth a try); i just stick them in pots and then put the pots in our cold frame - which is made from the old front door to our house .

i do pinch them out and water them very occasionally and they generally are problem free.

they flower earlier and die back lots earlier than the spring sown ones, but it's handier for me to do it this way - once the ferry starts and i'm working i don't have as much time to be looking after little seedlings.

[splodger]

i sow my 1st lot in oct - did some last wk - i do another lot on Christmas day - the rest in spring (staggered )

that way i get early mid and late flowers - i love my sweetpeas  

[Selkie]

good idea :idea:

i love sweet peas too - they have the best scent

[muddywellies]

Thanks everybody!    Trying just a few now and leaving the rest for spring sounds like the way to go then. I'm glad saving a vast mountain of the insides of toilet rolls hasn't been in vain - my work colleagues think I'm completely insane!