Sowing sweet peas

Q Sweet peas are my favorite flowers, and I was delighted to receive some packets of seed for my birthday. Is it better to sow sweet peas in autumn or in spring? Connie Bedelia, Chipping Ongar, Essex

- Anne Swithinbank

AI thinks the best and longest-lasting plants arise from an October or early November sowing. They’ll show within three weeks and make wellformed plants with good root systems for planting out as soon as conditions allow in spring. Here in a milder region, I aim to plant in early March, but in colder areas, April might be more realistic.

Sweet peas are tough, and as long as they are well hardened off (placed outside to acclimatize to the weather before planting), they survive late frosts. It is certainly a mistake to leave them sitting around too long pot-bound in their modules. If necessary, pot them on.

Autumn is also a good time to make sure the planting site is well dug or mulched, with organic matter added. This is why so many people do well by planting sweet peas on their allotments.