Sweet Peas

Hutt News, Volume 6, Issue 16, 14 September 1938, Page 7

Sweet Peas

• •.—# — t ■ A TALK BY MB. W. B. BOUGH-

"With proper cultivation it is quite easy to grow Sweet Peas with four or five blooms on a siXim and 16 to 20 inches in length," said Mr. W. B. Rough in a recent talk on Sweet Pea Cultivation to ihembers of the Hutt Valley Horticultural Society's Garden Circle. v ■ The first essential; was., good seed or plants of a strong robust nature. The weak "'.nts should be eliminated. The .0 for sowing was in the early . ..ui and after the second leaves Uave formed, the main stem may be pinched back. Shelter should be provided- with manuka scrub. Trenching was essential but it was not necessary to go deeper than 18 inches or two feet, provided there was good drainage. The trench should contain stable manure or compost in the lower spit but this must be well matured or bud dropping anjl mildew will result. It is desirable to dig the trench in early winter and leave it open to the weather in order to sweeten the sub soil. If there is acidity in the soil lime should be added as Sweet Peas must have sweet soil. The growing of a leguminous crop previously in order to supply nitrogen bacteria was advocated. When planting from the boxes at the end of September or early October, the roots should bo well out and a if the buds appear too early' 1 they should be removed as they will affect the main crop. By removing the tendrals the whole nourishment of the plant is used for forming buds. In tiein g the plants Mr Rough advised the use of insulated wire which may be bent into shape to hold the plants without any tieing and for *hc blooms a still lighter wire may be used. It is essential to keep the blooms picked or flowering will cease. For exI liibition purposes not more than two ' or three stems should be allowed to a plant, but for ordinary domestic use for our Jive stems may be allowed and if the main stem becomes injured one of these may- be used to take its place. It is difficult to find the cause of bud dropping but it is often attributed to a wet season ox faulty drainage or overfeeding with animal manure. One mild funding per week of liquid manure should" be sufficient, never of course, applying this when the ground is dry. The Sweet Pea is a deep rooted plant and will require less water than the majority of plants if the ground has been properly prepared. Staking. When the plants have reached the tcp of the stakes they may be laid horizontally along the row and tied about a foot from the ground and trained up the stake in the perpendicular. By doing this the flowering time is much prolonged. Mr. Rough said there was iw plant that would stand more cultivation or respond more readily to it than the Sweet Pea. Blooms should never be cut in the sun, but in the early morning or late at night. They should then be plunged up to the neck in water and they would then keep for several days. AVhen cutting for the house the bloom should be taken before the top florette is fully out and if they are cut a couple of days before required, it will be an advantage. For show purposes there must be no space between, the blooms on the stem, each flower meeting the one next to it. Varieties Recommended The following are some of the varieties recommended: — White. — Loch Lomond,, Yellowtipj Cavalcade, Grand Slam, Welcome, Mrs. A. R. Searl, Model. Pink.—Slieba, Picardy, Beatall, Fluffy Ruffle. Blue—Olimpea, Ambition, Parscourt, Bluebell.