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Sweet Pea Question

alameda/zone 8/East Texas

3 years ago

I live 2 hours NE of Houston; have just potted up some sweet pea seeds last week, they are not coming up yet. We are expecting temperatures to drop to 9 one day and in the 20's for several days next week. I have a heated greenhouse I could put the flat in but I think I recall reading they need a period of cold to do well. Should I leave the flat outside in a protected area or bring them in the greenhouse? Thanks!

Judith

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Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
3 years ago
https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/grow-sweet-pea-flowers/7263.html

i did not have time to study this.. nor watch the vid.. hope it helps

ken
morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
3 years ago
The plant can tolerate 25 degrees. The seed can tolerate much colder (but the 9 would be a problem in a flat and I probably wouldn't risk the 20s when they've been seeded for a bit). I'd definitely protect them from deep freezing at this point, but you don't have to be so gentle with them later. Even the seedlings are tolerant of a light frost.

However, just to be safe, and since everything is in a flat (where temperature moderation isn't what it would be in the ground), I'd put the absolute bottom temperature at 35 degrees. That gives you some room for "whoops, the weatherperson was wrong" but definitely wouldn't allow for root freeze no matter what happened.
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alameda/zone 8/East Texas
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks! They will go in the greenhouse. How I wish for once the weatherman would be wrong but doubt that will happen. Polar vortex is to hit us at 3pm tomorrow - so I will bring them in and protect them. The ones I planted in the ground may not fare so well, but at least I can save these!
morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
3 years ago
The ground ones should be fine! If you could put a layer of mulch over them to protect them from the single night of nine degrees, that would help. Even dropping old newspaper over the top would be a significant help. Pin several layers down with rocks. And if you have a few inches of snow cover, even better. Soil temperatures probably won't significantly go under 32, and the seeds won't care.

But the twenties aren't going to bother sweet pea seeds any in the soil as long as they've not sprouted significantly (and they probably haven't).

I gave you "overkill" instructions on the flats just to assure that the ground in there doesn't freeze and then go even colder. At 9, it probably would. In the twenties...well, maybe, maybe not, but there's no reason to take chances.

(Right now, current air temperature is 19. We have a foot of snow cover, my exterior sensor is buried, and the temperature 3" off the ground under 9" of snow or so is 31-32 degrees and it hasn't moved in days. Snow is an excellent insulator).

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