Sweet Pea seeds?

[johnny canoe]

My elderly neighbour wasn't able to pull his sweet pea vines up last fall before the big freeze. So they are still there loaded with pods. Does anybody know if the seeds are viable being out in a long and cold winter? I want to have them up the sides of my arbor but don't want to bother planting them in the planter boxes if they are dead after being exposed all winter.

 

[Fuzzygreenery]

Given that they can be grown/their seeds kept in quite cold conditions, you might have a chance at getting them to grow despite their exposure to winter.

 

[johnny canoe]

Thanks, yes I was thinking that since I've had morning glories self seed, perhaps I can harvest those sweet pea pods.

 

[alp]

@johnny canoe One fast and cheap way of doing this is put the seeds on a moist serviette and enclose them in a tray and leave it at the top of the gh.. No need to use soil. Within a week or even 3 days (if there is sufficient warmth), you can see if they sprout .. Or use a polystyrene cup and put 4 seeds inside inside moist compost. Wrap the whole thing up with a clear plastic bag.. This might take longer. Best is use the moist serviette in a clear tray ..

Like this

 

[johnny canoe]

Perfect, I'll try that Alp, get some seeds set up and wait a few days to see if they're viable.

 

[alp]

Yes, better than wasting soil and tray for that.. That's what happened to my Mambo Dahlia seeds. I suddenly saw some seeds enmeshed in a seedhead after days of frost and very cold weather. I just sowed them and they popped up .. I'm so pleased.. This method of using moist serviette is especially good with big seeds like courgettes, cucumber or sweet peas .. You know the viability of the seeds more or less within 3 days to a week, depending on how warm it is .. or or how snowy it is! LOL!