[mrsclark]

Hi there I am new to this forum and relatively new to growing my own.Ive never grown sweetpeas before so decided to plant some seeds in 3" pots a few weeks ago.Almost every seed has grown but they are very very tall with only the teeniest little leaves on.Basically they look like a tall thin green stick and nothing else.Anybody know what I could have done/am doing wrong.They are in pots in a small plastic greenhouse in my kitchen.Thanks in advance.

[mumofstig]

Welcome to the forum.

You've not really done anything wrong, they just need to have the tops pinched out so that they grow more shoots.
Then gradually get them used to outside conditions by putting them outside, somewhere sheltered, during the day.

[yorky]

Without seeing them its impossible to tell how leggy they really are. I wouldn't have thought that a plastic greenhouse inside your kitchen was letting them get enough light. They are very hardy plants, can you not put your greenhouse outside ?

[Tracybutton]

Don't worry, mine look leggy every year ! Once outside they will settle and after a couple of weeks and you can pinch out to keep the strongest shoot as they will soon catch up.

[DANNY]

Don't worry, mine look leggy every year ! Once outside they will settle and after a couple of weeks and you can pinch out to keep the strongest shoot as they will soon catch up.

Once you've pricked the tips out (helps root growth) and your ready to plant outside  "Remember to add sticks or netting so the peas have something to grip for climbing up.

[mumofstig]

Don't worry, mine look leggy every year ! Once outside they will settle and after a couple of weeks and you can pinch out to keep the strongest shoot as they will soon catch up.

Restricting to one shoot, is called cordon growing and is the method used by exhibition growers
http://www.sweetpeas.org.uk/how.htm

For garden plants, I've always pinched out leggy plants to encourage more shoots from the base 

[Yorkie]

I too always end up with leggy sweet peas because of insufficient light.

I've always wondered whether, if the first pair of leaves is 4-6" above soil level, you should nip out the growing tip above those leaves or lower down?

[mrsbean]

Pinched out mine last year, just before planting. Slugs loved them, did,nt think they would survive but they came back from under the soil were the bottom leaves were. My fault for planting them out to small. Best crop ever though.

[Trikidiki]

I wouldn't pinch out below the bottom most leaves, they may re-shoot from the base but you are removing their 'food factory'. I would pinch out above the leaves so they can re-shoot from the axial bud at the base of the leaf, if they also shoot from the base you can then remove the upper one if you want but I'd keep both if growing for normal picking and not for show.

[Yorkie]

Thanks - that's what I thought but decided to check 

[Stree]

First thing is 3 inch pots.. way too small for sweetpeas.They need a long root run to thrive. I use a few methods:  Kitchen roll cores is one, tubes made from newspaper another, but last few years I used the waxed paper cups used by paint sprayers for mixing paint, these last a few years, but do evemtually rot down so plant in the cup when they are just about falling apart.............This year I have used plastic clear pint pots from the pound shop. these are great, you can see how moist the soil is for the whole depth, and see the root growth.......
As for leggy. If they were mine I would not hesitate and nip them of at soil level..........My geese did this for me with a batch of seedlings one year and they came back with a vengeance. One of the best crops ever..........All that root potential powering a tiny bit of green .........
Leggy means just one thing. straining for light...........If no options to move to better light, put a mirror behind them to reflect what light there is, or use shiny side of cooking foil.........
Plant out at 3 to 5 inches tall, as Yorkie says they are tough, I have had them planted out in February and had blooms by May 1st.....Frost not a problem if slow thawed.........