Growing sweet peas from seed....do I really need a coldframe?

[NeoMaxiZoomDweebie]

I've been saving the seed pods from my sweet peas as I want to grow my own...when they wither, I pick them and put them in an envelope. I read that I can plant them in October in small long pots and keep them in a cold frame and then put them in in Spring...is that correct?

I haven't got a cold frame...would they be ok in the shed with some kind of polythene sheeting?

I've always just planted them in the spring, no need for a coldframe then.

I always buy the plants and they're quite expensive..I thought growing them in a cold frame would result in better plants?

I think eau means you can plant seeds in spring OP. my dad does this every year

Yes, that's what I meant :) I think you get more flowers or something if you plant them in Oct but I've always just grown them from seed in the spring and they've always looked lovely.

I've planted in autumn and spring and the only difference was the autumn ones flowered about two weeks earlier.

Ooh really Parker...so that would be a lot of fussing for not much return...did they last any longer? Flower more? I find the plants quite expensive and wanted to grow loads so I could gift them to people as well as have loads to show off and pick...

That was the only difference.
I'd been faffing around for years growing them in a cold frame and then one year mice ate all but two plants so I planted more in spring and learnt my lesson.

I love sweetpeas, I always grow lots of varieties and try and choose strongly scented ones.
A huge vaseful in a room is a real summer pleasure.

The ones in my garden this year are lovely....very strong scent and nice colours...loads of flowers. Parker...shall I plant them in spring in pots? Not into the ground where knowing me, I'd lose them within a day! Forgetful I am!

I put mine in pots otherwise I forget whe they are or the slugs get them.

I used to use long pots or the inners of kitchen rolls but now I just stick 3 seeds in a 3? pot. I plant them out when they are between 4 and 6" so they re just. tall enough to tie to a bamboo.

I used to do everything carefully by the book but realise as years have gone past I have become a very lax slapdash gardener, but mostly it works!

Agree, sow seeds in spring, three little seeds to a little pot. Could sow on a windowsill in Feb/March.

Agree, sow seeds in spring, three little seeds to a little pot. Could sow on a windowsill in Feb/March.

I plant them in bog roll tubes, then you can just plant the whole thing in the ground when they are big enough. The seed packet had some complicated instructions about putting them in a plastic bag until they sprouted but I didn't bother and they all turned out fine.