Topic: sweetpeas 2010

[laurieuk]

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[lorna]

Beautiful.

[saddad]

Very impressive Laurie  makes me want to  :'( .........

[shirlton]

Give yourself a big pat on the back Laurie.
How many plants do you grow to get them all at the right stage?

[laurieuk]

You may not believe this but I only grow 45 plants and never have flowers indoors. I grow them because the gentleman we work for likes them and I give him almost all of them but I did do the Bidborough show this year and may do another show this week. If I am giving a talk I usually take some along for the raffle

[betula]

oh well done.......I aint got a fllower yet............ :(

[shirlton]

You did really well to get all of those blooms from 45 plants Laurie.

[Tee Gee]

Well done Laurie!

A questions for you;

I believe you grow you plants up canes; then when they reach the top you take them down, layer them along the ground then up a cane adjacent to a cane and so on!

Here's the question; what do you think would happen if you grew the plants along the ground in a 'serpentine' fashion?

Its my belief the flowers would grow vertical and you would not be affected with bent/crooked stems plus there would be no need for tying in or removing tendrils what do you think?

On second thoughts it might still be beneficial to remove the tendrils as they take away strength that otherwise would go into flower production!

The first thing that comes to mind is you would need a lot more space and walking between the plants might be a bit tricky.

Whats your view on the idea or for that matter what does anyone else think!

[laurieuk]

I layered my sweetpeas a couple of weeks ago and because part of the row changes to runner beans I was unable to run some back up the canes so I have some along the ground. Almost all the stems are bent because they tend to try and grow along as the stem lays, all the stems are much shorter and I think I said once before I remove the tendrils not to save energy but to prevent them bending the flower stems. I think if you tried to grow them flat all the time the sap would not follow it's normal route, upwards, and the plants would suffer generally. 

[Tee Gee]

Almost all the stems are bent because they tend to try and grow along as the stem lays,

Mmmmm! good point

all the stems are much shorter and I think I said once before I remove the tendrils not to save energy but to prevent them bending the flower stems.

Although I mentioned energy saving what was more in my mind was that the stems would grow vertical and the tendrils would'nt therefore interfere with the stems.

Possibly the shorter stem/s is down to not having to search for the light as much so the stop growing when they get sufficient light???

I think if you tried to grow them flat all the time the sap would not follow it's normal route, upwards, and the plants would suffer generally. 

Possibly so!

Thanks for taking the time to answer my query. As you probably have gathered I like to experiment and often get ideas like this.

I put it down to ageism i.e. it keeps the old grey matter flowing ;)

[laurieuk]

Had another good look this morning and those that I have not put back up canes are continually trying to grow upwards which is what makes all the stems bent.

[shirlton]

Tee Gee I was speaking to one of the sweetpea growers at a show some years ago and they said that they grew theirs along in a cordon. Perhaps if grown that way from the start when the plant get so high then perhaps the stems would be long and straight. Hows about giving it a try next year with a few plants. I am always up for a challenge. This year I have left mine to their own devices and although still pretty the quality isn't as good.

[GrannieAnnie]

Congratulations Lauri. They are all beautiful. Does one smell better than the rest?

[laurieuk]

Tee Gee I was speaking to one of the sweetpea growers at a show some years ago and they said that they grew theirs along in a cordon. Perhaps if grown that way from the start when the plant get so high then perhaps the stems would be long and straight. Hows about giving it a try next year with a few plants. I am always up for a challenge. This year I have left mine to their own devices and although still pretty the quality isn't as good.

Mine are all grown in cordon fashion and when they get too high I then layer them to start them back up the canes. I picked the first one mid may.

[shirlton]

Laurie when I said corden I meant that they grow them horizontally. I used to do the same as you. layer them when they reach the top and let them go up again but these people grew them up to a certain height and then they grew them along instead of upwards. Next year I am going to give it a try if I have enough room on the plot just to see what happens

[Tee Gee]

I think you mean espalier or hop over fashion Shirlton if I may compare it with growing fruit.

Thinking more about what Laurie says about the inherent habit of sweet peas I bow to the experts knowledge.

But this will not stop me thinking up other ways of altering 'old habits' just call me a 'die hard'



Let me give you one of my systems that goes against the experts/pundits and that is' growing brassicas! I won't plant them in rock hard soil as many advocate.

I certainly feel more comfortable in a soft bed rather than a hard bed and I like the covers loose not tucked in hospital fashion so why can't my plants have the same?  ::) 8)

I must admit relative to some my system works so there must be some sense in my madness!!  ;D

[shirlton]

Whats life without a bit of experimentation eh!

[GREENWIZARD]

lovely

[Ninnyscrops.]

Lovely displays Laurie, I missed the Rose and Sweet pea show this year  :(

Most of mine had such short stems so I wouldn't have been able to put them in.

I grew mine up bean canes and some had managed to grow along the ground but all so short in the stem.

Linda