hi is it best to sow sweet peas now or wait till the spring i only have shed if they need protection many thanks

Why not give it a go, just a few seeds on your windowsil, then sow the rest in Spring.

I was about to say that it is much too early to sow them, But I like Heron's answere better.

hi ya i will give it a try and see what happens many thanks

Once they've germinated, they are pretty hardy - I put mine out in the coldframe, after an October sowing. This gets me earlier flowers next year!

yes, interesting this - there was exactly this q on Gardeners Question Time on t'radio this week. Clear answer was just try both!

thanks all

I planted some seeds from a pack at start of october and last week they were brought into the house and put at the windowsill as they were getting to big for the coldframe, I pinched out the growing tips to stop them getting too tall.

Last year I planted some seeds outside & they had no protection at all on my balcony. They grew all right. I grew them in the cardboard tubes from toilet paper & planted them in their flowering positions in the spring & they grew & gave me lots of flowers for several months.

As others have said give them a try. If you plant some now & they survive the winter then you will get flowers a full month before those planted in the spring. I planted some seeds a month or more ago & they have germinated well & I've already pinched out the growing tips.

I find the only difference beween spring and autumn sowings is that the spring sowings flower a bit later - which I always think is better as I don't want everything flowering at once in the early summer and then petering out. My sweetpeas flower on the late side, but that's good for me lol

Really, I should make two sowings, I suppose - but I do like to have them up and doing as early as possible!