topie - hopefully someone who knows better will chime in but I recall seeing threads where trudi told folks the WS method obviates the need for nicking the seed coat and/or soaking seeds. I could be wrong--probably am--but I know it isn't supposed to be necessary since if the seeds naturally fell from the plant and were left to fend for themselves, no one would come along and nick the seed coat (well, a critter might, but then they'd EAT it!). A good drenching rain might soak them but they wouldn't get immersed in tea, chamomile or otherwise.
Did you check the FAQs to see if there's a topic discussion about nicking/soaking?
In any event, good luck and happy gardening!

Oh my goodness, I somehow totally forgot about that! You can tell I am still a newbie, lol...I guess I don't need to do all that nicking or soaking or tea treatment stuff then. I'm so used to sowing being more complicated...this is so easy. Thank you!

I don't do any of the above. I don't think there's a need to.

:)
Dee

Hi

I tried soaking them and starting them inside last year. I wasn't too impressed. However, This year I just threw them outside in jugs probably in mid February. I have sprouts today. (Elegant ladies and Royal Family specifically) These are the annuals. My perennials haven't started yet. I may have put the annuals out a little early. Time will tell. Last frost is not until 4/27. Hopefully, they will be okay in the jugs. So far so good.

Hope this helps

Linda

I plant my perennials in the jugs "as is" & have had success for several years without doing anything to the sweet pea seeds. I'll have to check, but I might have some extra if you'd like to try them?

OK, thanks everyone! I've never sown sweet peas at all before, even direct sowing, so they seem almost exotic to me...thanks for letting me know they're not as hard as I thought to sow.

monkey665, I looked up the "Royal Family" ...it is so pretty! I love the colors of that one. Maybe I'll order some of those next year if it turns out I can actually grow sweet peas. I'm sowing something called 'High Scent' this year that has very pale lavender blooms, and some kind of pink, white, lavender and scarlet type of mix.

I will put them out in their jugs tomorrow and hope for the best. Thanks again.

Did you cover the seeds when you planted them? I planted some of the Royal Family variety and I can see some sprouts beginning. It has become hot this last few days so I opened up the jug. We'll see if that was the wrong thing to do. I didn't use all of the seed packet, just in case. I can always direct sow the othrs.

I WS'ed them the same as I did everything else. Didn't nick or soak.
They come up fine. Some I covered with soil, others I didn't.

I also transplanted them twice, in spite of some sites will tell you they don't like to be moved.
Well..probably they don't - who does?
but they managed fine.
They grow so fast.
I can see the little tendrils grabbing on to the sticks in minutes. How smart. :)

I planted 4 in a big pot, don't know if that is enough room, but this is an experiment. I've got 4 more to plant out.

Can't wait to eat 'em.

I love that winter sowing means no nicking, I have chopped too many tiny things that way. Do let us know about your sweat peas. I can't seem to get any to stick it out in my soil so I'd love to see them doing well somewhere.

You bunch of enablers! I have some old sweet pea seeds that didn't germinate for me before (they disappeared in the soil - rotted, I suppose); this thread has made me dig out the remaining seeds to see if I have any luck with them this time. Decided to nick them (since it's so late?). We'll see if they do anything - they're 'Sugar 'n' Spice', a hanging basket/groundcover variety from T&M.

Wish me luck!

PV

Hmmm - just read that the viability of sweet pea seeds is 2 yrs.

Mine are from 2004. A true leap of faith!

PV

you go for it PV,
let us know how they do.

Speaking of sweet peas - does anyone know how tall sugar snap variety will grow?

I got a little worried yesterday when I saw a friend whom I gave seeds to had erected a beautiful teepee stand of bamboo about 5 feet high!

My growing apparatus (which is a tree) will only give them 3 feet to grow.
Is this enough?

{{gwi:367854}}

Here's a photo I took today of my sweet pea 'High Scent' seedlings. They are almost too tall for the milk jugs now. Hoping to plant them out soon...still constructing a "ground-hog free" area for them. We managed to find an old iron garden fence to construct a ground-hog barrier with. Hopefully the sweet peas will grow through and around the openings in the fence...may need to add some string for them to climb on?

ellenr, I don't really know how tall sugar snap peas will grow, but that's great you are growing an edible pea...I have yet to grow anything edible in my current garden due to the groundhogs (sigh). I heard they will even eat ornamental sweet peas like the ones I'm growing, even though humans are not supposed to eat them.

Found an article about the sugar snap peas online (see link). Seems like there are different kinds of sugar snaps...some get to be 6 feet, but some are a bush variety.

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Sugar Snap Peas - Tips on How to Grow Sugar Snap Peas

thanks for that link.
omg, hope mine are not the 6-ft variety.

we have groundhogs too.
I put my peas in a pot, then raised the pot about 1 1/2 ft off the ground.
Still I guess I better put a fence around it too, otherwise the critters might knock my pot over trying to get to it.