[snow white]

I was hoping to start some sweet peas off this month.  Do I need to start them on the window sill first?  Or can I just put them straight into the coldframe I have?  Or shall I wait till March? All advise/experience welcome.

[sion01]

I start them on a windowsill then gradually introduce them to the big wide world

[Trillium]

I caught an interesting clip from Monty Don on sweetpeas where he did 3 different planting times and noted the results.

Seeds started about now got off to a good start and yielded well and early.

Seeds started around March got off to a good start and yielded heavily for a longer period of time.

Seeds direct seeded around May had the smallest yield of all.

[Annen]

I've got some going in a cold greenhouse.  I sowed them in December and they are just popping up now.  If you put them in a propagator or warm windowsill they will come up faster, but you still have to wait for the weather outside to warm up.  I put mine outside too soon last year and they tried but struggled with the cold and wet.

[snow white]

Think I will have to get my patient hat on and wait until March.    So keen to get growing. 

[ThatsNice]

Ooh I love sweet peas. My mum always grew them and they always smell so gorgeous! Might have to get a wigwam of canes up to grow some

[Sweetpea C]

  at last., something I do know about!

I have been growing sweetpeas in different ways for years, that said last year was a wipe out apart from a random seed that grew by itself and gave lots of flowers (and seeds).

I've started half of the harvested seeds in the greenhouse and have already pinched them out so they start to bulk. The others I am going to direct sow in March, we'll see what happens.

Lovely cut flowers to perfume the house. Good luck :-)

Caroline

[mumofstig]

Monty Don found that Autumn sown Sweet peas produced the most flowers - sowing now means they'll be on catch up but they'll be better than leaving it til March. Pic from the program here
http://lewishamgardens.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/8021575-monty-don-s-sweetpea-sowing-trial

[Yorkie]

Interesting, that forum link - my memory of the results was in line with Trillium's post 

[New shoot]

I've sown mine now as I find that early sown plants lend themselves to being pinched out and the more branched they are, the more flowers you get. I didn't autumn sow as it was so mild I thought they would be up to the greenhouse roof by now 

They do need a coldframe or greenhouse to live in though as it is too warm inside. If you don't have either, then it is better to wait.  Either way they are lovely and worth growing 

[Trillium]

That's what I thought too, Yorkie. Althought the December sown plants grew huge, their output wasn't nearly as good as the March sown ones  which is what really surprised Monty. And me. Logic says the December ones should flower most, but it didn't happen that way.

[mumofstig]

Monty Don found that Autumn sown Sweet peas produced the most flowers - sowing now means they'll be on catch up but they'll be better than leaving it til March. Pic from the program here
http://lewishamgardens.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/8021575-monty-don-s-sweetpea-sowing-trial

This GW discussion thread seems to agree that Monty did say Autumn sown were best - whether we agree with that is a different matter 
http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/problem-solving/autumn-sowing-sweet-peas/5550.html

[Optimistic Gardener]

I sowed some in pots on my window cill 3 weeks ago.  They were up within a week and now are 4" tall.  I've already pinched them out so that they can become bushy.  I intend to sow some more in March so that I have a (more or less) continuous supply for the house.  Can't wait.