In order to grow exhibition sweet peas with very long stems and large flowers, you have to pinch out the growing tip of the seedlings after one or possibly two leaves. This makes the seedling throw out side shoots which will become very strong vibrant vines producing the big flowers. I just keep one side shoots because this gives stronger and bigger flowers but you can keep two and get twice as many flowers. It is a little more complicated taking them up the cane supports and layering them when they have reached the top but still possible.
I have finished pinching out the growing tips of the main crop of sweet peas but I sowed some in December and these are only now germinating. I will pinch them out when they get a little bigger.
Some of the seedlings that I have in Wightwick Manor greenhouse have been eaten by woodlice right down to the compost. I am leaving them because often they regrow from the seed and produce very vigourous shoots that produce the best flowers.
Not done much to the allotment. I have started to dig up the woody shredding paths and put the decomposed shreddings around the fruit trees as a mulch. I replace the old shreddings with new to maintain the path.
The soft fruit bed has been thoroughly mulched with woody shreddings. I might pull this back and put some farm yard manure around the bushes before pulling the shreddings back over.
I have two infant classes coming to visit the allotment in March. There will not be much for them to see so we are having to pretend. I will bury some potatoes so they can dig them up and leave some carrots and parsnips for them to see in the ground. It will be quite spectacular to dig out a big parsnip and carrot. I have suggested that they come back in June when the allotment will be full and I think that they are considering it.
Spent some time at Wightwick Manor cutting back the large cherry laurel hedge around the vegetable garden. It looks very tidy now. The gardeners are going to burn the considerable heap of prunings but I have suggested they get a shredder instead. They are having to dredge the large ponds because they have silted up quite badly and this will take up much of their budget so I think that a shredder will not be at the top of their list of things to buy this year. I just don't like to see so many nutrients going up in smoke.
