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SWEET PEAS third page.

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remove the newspaper discs permanently from each affected pot.
[Consideration: mixed sweet-pea seeds, sown in the one pot, are likely to germinate at different times. This is because one colour of sweet pea paces its time of germination differently from that of another colour. Despite this, uncovering must take place at the first hint of green -- even if that first hint is of
germination in respect of only one sown seed]

lower the green house's temperature level to
40^oF -- but no lower -- and keep it there, once the bulk of the germination has been obtained. Continue to maintain correct watering

watch for each germinated seed to develop into a straight stem bearing two leaves, one leaf on either side of the stem

watch for the two-leafed stem to bear a second pair of leaves, one on either side of the stem and at a higher level than the first pair

very gently nip off the end of the stem just above the topmost pair of leaves. Use thumb nail and the pad of the forefinger to do so.
[Consideration: this stops the stem from adding further growth]

watch for the de-ended, straight stem to produce four side shoots, one from where each of the four leaves grows from the stem

watch for each of the four side shoots to develop first one pair and then two pairs of leaves

de-end each side shoot just above the final pair of leaves. Use the thumb nail and forefinger pad to do so.
[Consideration: this stops the stem from adding further growth]

note that by mid-March (in Cornwall; later elsewhere), each sweet-pea plantlet is bushy and ready to be planted out

note that the October-sown plantlets are 30cm-to-40cm high

note that the November-, December- and January-sown plantlets are of less height, reducing according to how late they were sown in the November/January period.
[Considerations: 1 -- a benefit of the October/January sowing is a season of glorious flowering that extends from the first blossoms in June (in Cornwall) to the final flowers when the frost strikes down; 2 -- left to its own devices in the greenhouse's conditions of light, the sweet-pea plantlet grows tall and straight and sturdy and bears few side shoots; 3 -- the overall result of this, eventually, is the least number of sweet-pea flowers; 4 -- the head gardener requires as many side shoots as possible on the straight stem in order to win maximum flowering when the plantlet is stationed in its permanent home in the garden; 5 -- the first stage of surgery leaves the plantlet with no choice but to produce an increased number of sideshoots, since continued vertical growth is not possible; 6 -- the second stage of surgery leaves the plantlet with no choice but to produce shoots on side shoots and, thus, eventually, to develop multiple flower-bud-bearing growth; 7 -- all of this unnatural development is generated by the plant's determination to survive in the face of the threat to its life that is created by the two stages of surgery. It achieves survival by reaching maturity (albeit, in Nature's terms, deformed maturity) and then setting what, truly, is an excess number of seeds. A stage towards this is what R J Harris requires: luxuriant sweet-pea blossom].

TIP -- if an over-busy life results in the arrival of February/March with no sweet-pea seeds sown and developed into plantlets, apply R J Harris's catch-up method. Soak the chosen seeds in water from the cold tap or a water butt for two-to-three hours before inserting them into the John Innes No 2 potting compost in the pots. This reduces the germination time by at least one week.

SEEDLINGS AND PLANTLETS IN AN UNHEATED CONSERVATORY, in which process there is no moon-phase content

prepare pots and sow them with the chosen sweet-pea seeds exactly as is described in SEEDLINGS AND PLANTLETS IN AN UNHEATED GREENHOUSEX(use the back button to return to this point)

develop the sown pots into pots of sweet-pea plantlets ready for planting out exactly as is described in SEEDLINGS AND PLANTLETS IN AN UNHEATED GREENHOUSE.

SEEDLINGS AND PLANTLETS IN A COLD FRAME. Working within a cold frame -- and noting that in the procedure there is no moon-phase content -- prepare pots, sow them with the chosen sweet-pea seeds and produce fully-manipulated plantlets ready for planting out as is described in SEEDLINGS AND PLANTLETS IN AN UNHEATED GREENHOUSEX(use the back button to return to this point). In doing so, note

during the 24-hour (at least) acclimatisation period, when all resources achieve a common ambient temperature, keep the cold frame's lid fully closed

lodge the pots and their developing contents on the floor of the cold frame and keep them in that position until planting-out time

when nipping off the plantlets' growing tips and the side shoots' growing tips, do so whilst the plants in their pots remain within the cold frame. Do not lift the pots out of the cold frame in order to work upon their contents more conveniently and with greater personal comfort

keep the cold frame's lid shut tight, day and night, whenever the prevailing temperature is below 50^oF

when the prevailing temperature is below 32^oF, and frost sets in (particularly through the night), cover the cold frame with blankets, carpet, hessian or fleece to keep out the cold

when the temperature improves to 40^oF or above, remove the protective coverings.
[Consideration: -- light is of paramount importance to the developing plantlets, and so light-resistant coverings must be removed from the cold frame as soon as the weather conditions relent sufficiently for this to be done. A typical 'relented' condition is a combination of bright sunshine and extreme cold]

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