May 30, 2008, Newsletter Issue #214: Training Exhibition Sweet Peas.

Tip of the Week

Exhibition sweetpeas are trained as single stemmed plants, all the side shoots and tendrils are removed
so all the plants energies go into producing flowers. The result is larger flowers on long , straight stems.

The growing method is called cordon training and is similar to single stem tomato culture.

The best quality plants are those that are sown early,either October and overwintered or February at the latest.
When the seedlings have a couple of pairs of leaves, pinch out the growing tip.This causes three or four side shoots to form.Usually ,one of these is much stronger than the others keep this and cut off the others.

You need to build a framework consisting of two 7´ tall tee pieces strung with a line of fencing wire on each side. Next at 6" intervals push in 8´ long bamboo canes along both sides of the framework and attach the tops of the canes to the wire supports
During late April or May, harden off the young Sweet peas and plant out one per cane.
This is the stage that dediction is called for. As the plants grow,tie them to the canes and constantly remove any side shoots that form and the curly tendrils.
When the plants reach the wire supports, untie them lay them along the base of the canes and carefully train tie the tips of the plants to the the sixth cane aklong the row. The end plants are wrapped around the corners and trained on the sixth cane around the corner.

Your reward for your labors? Armfulls of multi headed fragrant Sweet peas on two feet long , straight stems.

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