WINTER BLOOMING SWEET PEAS 



procedure, all buds subsequently opening and remain- 

 ing on the stem as they should do. Bud dropping is 

 most frequently met with in a wet season. 



WINTER BLOOMING SWEET PEAS 

 Sweet Peas are now being grown in yearly increasing 

 quantities under glass to produce the ever-welcome, 

 fragrant flowers during the dull days of winter and 

 spring. 



To succeed in this, a heated greenhouse is indispen- 

 sable, and the seeds may be sown on raised benches, 

 in pots, or the solid bed or border. The date of sowing 

 will depend on when the Sweet Peas are wanted to 

 bloom. The forcing of winter-flowering varieties takes 

 from two and one-half to three months from the date of 

 planting until blooming, if started about the middle of 

 August. Later sowings take rather longer; therefore, 

 if required for spring cutting, seed should be planted 

 early in November. The seed may be planted in the 

 row, or started in small pots or flats (many growers 

 prefer flats). 



Best results are obtained when grown in solid beds, 

 though we have seen magnificent Peas cut from plants 

 on raised benches. They come into flower earlier 

 when grown on raised benches, but the quality of bloom 

 is not so fine, nor is the flowering season so prolonged 

 as when grown in solid beds. It pays to prepare a 

 special compost for Sweet Peas, which should be com- 

 posed of three parts good fibrous loam, not too heavy, 

 and one part well-rotted manure (cow or sheep manure 

 for preference), to which add a good dressing of bone 

 meal. 



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