I tend not to as its easier to plant in spring and they grow faster and soon catch up to ones sown in the winter. Plus mice are less likely to eat them and there is less chance of cold affecting them. I don't plant them in autumn either, mostly because i've usually forgotten!

Some years I have sown them in autumn, but usually I wait until Jan. I sow them in toilet rolls tubes, which are them all placed on a jumbo tray and put above a rad in the spare room. I have sown them and left them in the polytunnel, but that has never produced brilliant plants. This year I made a mistake....I had sown some in toilet rolls, but I sowed direct. I sowed what I had left, old peas, either side of a path. expecting only a few. But no, the lot came up and looked like a hedge. Too many grew and met over the path. But they didn't start to flower until mid sept. The earlier sowns were much better. But at my altitude, things have to be sown early indoors to produce at the right time.

Thats great. Thank you both. I'm taking over a new patch of land with a small green house at the beginning of next year. Sow sowing now hasn't really been an option. I have plenty of space so perhaps will try both planting in Jan, indoors and also straight into the ground later on. I'm a sweet pea virgin so fingers crossed!!!
Kind Regards
Ben

I planted some this January and some in March the March ones flowered first!

Ha! So it can be a lottery... thx Drc

It is sometimes.

I grew them one year in toilet paper tubes on my balcony & they grew very well. I had flowers from May until August!

I have filled a seedtray with toilet paper tubes again this year & put it in the greenhouse down on the allotment. The seeds have just begun to germinate. I've saved some for planting in the spring, on the allotment as well.

Now you tell me! I bought the tubes and they were useless perhaps because of the mildew, perhaps I will try TR's Balcony