[AmandaLouise]

Hi,

 I have never grown sweetpea in my garden, I wanted to see what they are like as I hear such good things about them and that they are easy to look after.  So I have a 40cm pot and a tall obelisk.  the Obelisk has 3 main starting points/sticks.

I sowed about 5 sweetpea pots back in March, 3 seeds to one 10cm pot, so I have about 15 plants available.  Should I split these or just plonk them straight in the pot.  How many should I put in the pot to get a decent display.  they will just all go round the edges am I right.

[Yorkie]

I think 15 plants is too many for a pot of that size.

I'd be tempted to put no more than one 10cm pot to each obelisk leg.  You could split them up a little more - so 2 plants per leg, but I wouldn't go much lower.

Have you a fence or other location where you could put the rest of the plants?

[AmandaLouise]

Hi Yorkie

I havent got the greatest soil n my beds, and north facing so dont always get enough sun in the borders.  so I could just let them grow on some trellis at the lottie I guess. I posted this question as I googled on you tube,and there was this gardener and he had 10 cm pots with about 6 sweetpea plants in, then he was putting straight into the display pot to climb up a obelisk similar to mine.  I wondered if the roots would be too close and tangled.  I have attached a pic, I have started off like you said, about 3 at the base of each starting point.

Many Thanks for this.

amanda

[AmandaLouise]

One more thing I have been pinching the tops, but was going to stop now so they could a get of height going.  thanks, Amanda

[Yorkie]

Nice obelisk 

If your soil isn't great, and you don't have another pot (with canes would do), I guess you could try putting all of your sweet peas in there.  Looks like there are 4 legs, and one in the middle.

But make sure you feed a lot.  Add a decent amount of growmore or FBB, and either those slow release fertiliser pellets or once they've started flowering then add potash (or liquid tomato feed) to keep them going for as long as possible.

Pick the flowers as often as you can, and make sure you don't forget to water.

I'd stop pinching them out - they will be competing for space as it is.

[AmandaLouise]

Its really attractive, so couldnt resist at 10pounds from wilko, and its really good quality too.  Just 4 legs, none in the middle.

This year I have put in some new shrubs to fill gaps in my border soil, acid loving plants as its acid soil and they look really well.  I have also been using FBB and soil conditioner a couple of months ago so I was actually thinking today I may give them a try as nothing to lose really for what they cost me to sow. 

Do you still say around 3 sweetpeas around the base of each leg then?  i was looking at sweetpeas today, there were 10cm pots with at least 10 in them, only 75p.  I asked the nursery assistant about planting them out and she said put them all together and they will be absolutely fine.  But I am not doing this in case it doesnt work, I am mainly after a good display and  to see what sweetpeas are all about!

[Yorkie]

I don't think I'd put 10 plants at the base of each leg 

Each plant will grow to about 6' high.  If you have 40 plants, all competing for light and nutrients and water, they will be a nightmare to look after and will be incredibly congested at the top.

If you wanted to get some of those pots with 10 seeds in, you could try it in the ground but I'm not sure how tolerant they are of acidic soil.

[AmandaLouise]

Hi Yorkie

Makes sense to stick to 3 each leg like you said.  So should I plant like a semi circle around each leg.  I have posted another pic. i did buy the 10 plants they were to cheap to resist.  I can always give away.  here is a pic of my own sowed ones and the other pot of them from the nursery, as you can see mine desperately need planting in final position!  Will they be okay?!

[Yorkie]

They'll be fine, just weave them through the obelisk holes.

Don't bother separating yours into a small semi circle round each leg - just plant each set of 3 plants from a pot by each leg..

[AmandaLouise]

Excellent, sounds good to me.  thanks for your help on this.

[parttimer]

You said you have an Allotment, if your growing Runner Beans you could always put a Sweet Pea plant or 2 between your Runners. We've an Old Boy on our site that does it, he reckons it attracts the Bees.