Our next meeting will be on 9th April 2025
The Galston Garden Club welcome new members and visitors to our meetings. Come and enjoy the friendship of other enthusiastic gardeners, rambles and listen to interesting speakers. The speaker for March was Eric Date, the Agricultural teacher at Galston High School. A very interesting talk with slides.
If you haven’t already sown your Sweet Pea seeds, it’s not too late. Sweet Peas are delightful and very popular annual climbing plants. They combine delicate and very pretty flowers with a beautiful fragrance. Sweet Peas can cover a fence or tepee in gorgeous flowers or dwarf varieties are perfect for garden beds, pots and hanging baskets. St Patrick’s Day (March 17th) has been the traditional day to sow Sweet Peas, however it’s often best to wait for cooler conditions in April to sow them.
Sweet Peas need at least 6 hours of sunshine a day so choose a sunny position in an area with well-drained soil. Protection from strong winds is also recommended.
Improving the soil before sowing seeds will give the plants a great start. Sweet Peas do best in slightly acidic to alkaline soil. It’s best to sow Sweet Pea seeds directly into the ground as transplanted seedlings tend to suffer transplant shock. For tall varieties, sow seed next to a 2m tall trellis, tepee or support.
Dampen the soil and sow seeds 15-25 mm deep and at the spacing indicted on the pack of your chosen variety. Don’t water the soil again for another few days – if the soil is too wet the seeds may rot before germinating. Avoid watering over the leaves to prevent Powdery Mildew. Applying mulch around the base of the plants will keep the soil moist.
Snails and slugs are on of the biggest problems for young Sweet Pea seedlings, particularly during damp weather. Well-fed plants will be healthier and produce more flowers, so regular feeding is important. Once the seedlings are established (around 4 weeds after sowing) start feeding the plants every 1-2 weeks with a soluble fertilizer. Depending on the variety, Sweet Peas will start flowering 12-16 weeks after sowing. Once they start flowering, pick bunches of flowers as often as you like. Frequent picking will help promote a longer flowering season.
The Galston Club meets in the 2nd week of the month. Our next meeting will be the 9th April. We look forward to meeting you.
For more information, please visit our website: www.galstongardenclub.com.au or email: [email protected]
