How to start sweet peas in autumn, by Sally Grace Gardening 🌱 on YouTube. 1 min 11 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 11 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Fill deep pots or root trainers with seed compost and firm it gently. Sweet peas grow long roots, so choose pots at least 8 cm deep.
Push one seed about 1 cm into each pot. Sow a few extra pots in case some seeds fail to sprout.
Water the pots until the compost is damp but not soaked. Let the pots drain fully.
Put the pots in a cold frame, unheated greenhouse or cool, bright spot. Keep them out of warm rooms.
Check the compost every few days and water when the surface starts to dry. Do not let the pots sit in water.
Pinch out the growing tip once each seedling has two or three pairs of leaves. This makes bushier plants.
Move the young plants to their final spot in spring, after the last hard frost. Tie them to canes or netting as they grow.
Tips and common mistakes
Sow in October or November so the seedlings are sturdy but not leggy before winter.
Mice and slugs like sweet pea seeds, so check pots and use protection if needed.
Do not overwater in cold weather, as soggy compost can rot the seeds.
Keep seedlings cool and bright to stop them stretching and going weak.
Questions
Do I need to soak or nick sweet pea seeds first?
It is not essential. If you want faster sprouting, soak the seeds in water for a few hours before sowing, but plain sowing usually works fine.
Can I sow sweet peas in autumn in a warm house?
No, a warm room makes seedlings grow too fast and weak. Use a cold frame, unheated greenhouse or a cool, bright windowsill instead.
When will autumn-sown sweet peas flower?
They usually flower earlier than spring-sown plants, often from early summer. The exact timing depends on your climate and when you plant them out.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
