SWEET-PEAS FOR EASTER 



GEORGE W. KERR 



New Winter-flowering or Early 

 Strains of this Fragrant Flower 

 Make it Practical to Have 

 Blooms All the Year Round 



#INCE the introduction of the Winter- 

 flowering strains in Spencerised form 

 ■ — that is, with waved and greatly in- 

 creased size of bloom, Sweet-peas may 



be had practically in any month of the year, 



and it is to-day one of the most important of 



winter and spring flowers commercially. By 



sowing the seed in July, flowers will be cut 



in October; later sowings will come in for 



Christmas and these plants will supply fine 



flowers well into spring, while further sowings 



in regular succession, or where the plants were 



brought along under perfectly cool conditions 



with the view of being at their best in March, 



will flower until the temperature under glass is 



too hot for them. By that time the earliest 



outdoor crop will be in bloom, and, given pro- 

 pitious weather conditions, they may flower 



until August. Meanwhile early or winter- 

 flowering varieties are sown in the open early 



in July, from which flowers will be had in 



September. Sweet-pea culture under glass 



may be undertaken by the amateur with a full 



assurance of success. 



THE question of temperature is of greater 

 importance than the preparation of the 

 soil. The perfect temperature during the early 

 stages of growth, in fact until the flower buds 

 are swelling, is 42 to 48 degrees at night, ris- 

 ing to 55, or not exceeding 60 by day. If this 

 temperature be greatly exceeded, growth is 

 hastened with the result that the tops be- 

 come thin and weakly, while the roots do 

 not function properly; flower buds are pro- 

 duced prematurely and they are small, borne 

 on short stems, and their season of blooming 

 much shortened. Sweet peas (indeed all Peas) 

 are -impatient of heat. The grower must aim 

 for strong, deep searching roots in the initial 

 stages, and it is only when the temperature 

 is kept down that such root action can be 

 secured. 



When the buds are showing freely, and be- 

 ginning to swell, raise the night temperature 

 to 50 degrees, if kept any lower the edges of the flowers will 

 develop an objectionable green margin. Some growers advo- 

 cate a night temperature of 55 degrees, but there is then a 

 likelihood of short stems. 



Good Sweet-peas can be grown on raised benches, but lack- 

 ing the depth of soil necessary to the extended life of the plant, 

 the flower stems shorten rather early. An extra top dressing 

 and liberal watering will keep them going until the plants at- 

 tempt to get through the roof. They may also be grown in 

 large pots or tubs; but the perfect place is a solid bed on the 

 ground where the soil will extend to a depth of two feet, though 

 such a depth of soil is not an absolute necessity. 



Good fibrous live loam, inclining to be heavy rather than 

 light, with which is thoroughly incorporated well rotted manure 

 makes an ideal compost. Suitable and desirable proportions of 

 the above are two to three parts loam to one part manure, adding 

 bone meal or acid phosphate eight ounces to each barrow load of 

 the compost. When the bed is complete, finish with a light 

 dressing of freshly slaked lime, pointing it into the surface, tread 

 the bed, and finish by giving it a thorough watering. This 

 should be finished at least one week previous to seed sowing by 

 which time the surface soil will have sufficiently dried off to 

 allow of this operation. 



At this season of the year there is always some risk at- 



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