Ever heard of the seed snail hack? It’s a genius way of sowing seeds in small indoor spaces, and you can even upcycle old packaging while you’re at it. As a gardener who has to make the most of a tiny windowsill at this time of the year, I think it’s a real game-changer.
There are so many flower seeds you can sow in February, but sweet peas are ideal candidates for the trick. If you’re keen to grow sweet peas from seed but you’re tight on windowsill space, it’s worth giving the seed snail hack a go.
Our Editor-in-Chief Heather Young tried it out last year, and she managed to raise loads of sweet pea plants in a single roll (and they flourished when they were eventually planted out into the garden). Here’s how it works.
What you’ll need
Miracle-Gro
Miracle-Gro Peat Free Premium All Purpose Compost With Organic Plant Food
Peat-free compost is ideal for sweet pea seedlings, and this one contains plant food, too.
Bubble wrap is often used for the seed snail hack, but leftover polythene packaging works just as well.
Mr Fothergill’s
Fothergill’s Oh Sow Simple ‘Sweet Pea Scented’ Mix Flower Seeds
Sow these sweet pea seeds for a scented mix of blooms. Once moved outside, they’ll grow up to one metre in height.
If you have spare bubble wrap or polythene packaging lying around, cut a long strip of it off and lay it out flat. Ideally, you’ll want the strip to be between 10 and 20cm wide – sweet peas appreciate long pots to accommodate their roots, which is why I often sow them into toilet roll tubes (another brilliant upcycling idea for the garden).
Then, you’ll just need to spread a layer of compost over the surface of the strip (Miracle-Gro Peat Free Premium All Purpose Compost with Organic Plant Food is ideal). That’s another thing I love about the seed snail hack – it saves you money on compost, because you only need a thin layer for your sweet pea seeds to germinate and grow into strong seedlings.
After that, you can sow your sweet pea seeds (Sweet Pea ‘Turquoise Lagoon’ seeds from Thompson & Morgan are next on my list!). It’s best to follow the instructions on the seed packet for planting depth (usually around 1.5cm), and make a note of which side they’re on so you position the seed snail the right way up when it’s finished.
Once you’ve done that, roll your seed snail up tightly, compost side facing inwards, and secure it with tape. Place the entire thing in a pot so that the spiral side with the seeds is facing upwards, and then give it some water. Keep the pot on a bright windowsill, and your sweet pea seedlings should sprout within 10 days.
Six weeks after that, you’ll be able to plant your sweet peas outside – simply undo the tape, unroll the seed snail, and carefully transplant each seedling into the ground. It’s best to make sure plant supports are already in place, like this pea and bean tunnel from Thompson & Morgan.
It’s as simple as that! All you need for the seed snail hack for sweet peas are some seeds, a small amount of compost, some bubble wrap or plastic packaging, and some tape.
I think it’s a brilliant solution for small-space sowing – and if Heather’s sweet peas (above) are anything to go by, it gives the blooms the best possible start.
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