Comments on: Sweet Pea Project Update and Fertilizing Notes

By: Eden

Eden — Sun, 30 May 2021 10:45:35 +0000

It’s a very helpful blog. I got lots of information from this blog.
It’s a very interesting topic about peas. Thanks for sharing this information with us. again, great article and thank you for putting it out there.

By: admin Matt

admin Matt — Sun, 23 May 2021 22:02:11 +0000

In reply to MMN. My gosh those poppies sound magnificent! I think you might have solved all of your problems!

By: MMN

MMN — Sun, 02 May 2021 15:02:55 +0000

I’m not supposed to be able to fall-plant practically anything in my weird 6a climate, but I’m stubborn. This year, I planted most of my sweet peas out in the late fall, in a “greenhouse” that’s basically a glorified small high tunnel, not even large enough for decent heat retention. But with many layers of frost blankets, adjusted every night and removed during the day, and then extra layers of plastic for the nastiest of cold stretches, I managed an all-time low under all that protection of 19F, on a night that hit -12F, and brought the sweet peas through the winter (along with ranunculus and bells of Ireland and stock, a handful of corncockle and larkspur for the heck of it).
And the difference between the plants I’m getting this year vs. the ones I’ve grown in other years is kind of blowing my mind. Each plant has 2-3 of those man-finger-sized vines right now, leaves the size of my palm, and it’s early May with buds already starting to tease me. I can’t wait to see what the flowers end up looking like.
Previous years, with daily watering and cutting of blooms and constantly fighting off the budworms and spider mites, I’ve stretched flowering into August. I’m hoping that these super-strong plants do the same, maybe even with less struggle *fingers crossed*.
Next up on the “blowing my mind” list is the Shirley poppies I planted out under a simple low tunnel. Right now they’re throwing buds the size of both my thumbs put together; the Iceland poppies growing with them have been blooming for a month now, with the biggest damn flowers I’ve ever seen outside of the trick-angle shots on “farmer-florist” blogs.
Voles and rabbits and chipmunks were starting to threaten my sobriety until a pair of enormous barred owls moved in — turns out once you remove the plastic from those “greenhouses,” the remaining frames make *excellent* raptor perches.
I’m sure it has all seemed like absolute insanity to the neighbors, and all for a daily handful of flowers, but we all have our vices.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 22:48:36 +0000

As a new grower & one that has to do so in a POT of all things,, I have already had the misfortune of having the drop happen to me. Any help I can get would be HUGH at this point, I'm going to try and save what is still there. By this I mean trimming the dropped ones back to see if thats all the damage, the rest still look new yet have come to a stand still on the growing. Any help???

By: hopflower

hopflower — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 18:47:00 +0000

I meant also to mention that those peas of yours are looking great! I got few this year because I moved and had to put my vines in a planter of all things. That, or get no peas at all. I could not bear the thought of that!

The hop rhizomes on the other hand are really taking off. It was about the time to plant them that I was to replant myself. They must be waist high now, and growing six inches per day day.

By: Matt Mattus

Matt Mattus — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 18:29:28 +0000

You are correct, Hopflower. But I've found that many tomato fertilizers here in America have higher nitrogen than they should, so one should check the analysis to make sure that that first number in the series of three, is lower than the second or last. There seems to be no general standard. Best to look for a middle number that is highest, I suppose!

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 18:28:42 +0000

I'm so glad you posted this. I am actually (trying to) grow sweet peas this year – I was given some seeds.. And I don't know a thing about them. My climate is a few weeks behind yours and now I'll be prepared!

By: hopflower

hopflower — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 08:28:22 +0000

They respond well to compost fertilizers, but too early can be detrimental. Make sure it is not too high in Nitrogen; they are nitrogen- fixed and it will only attract too many aphids as well. I wait until the first flower flush before feeding. Actually, any good tomato food will do for them. Of course, any competitive growing requires a bit more; but there are no sweet peas shows in America. Still, large frilly blossoms never hurt anybody under any circumstances!.

By: Kaveh Maguire

Kaveh Maguire — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 06:35:09 +0000

I am so looking forward to each and every sweet pea post from you in the coming month.