A winter sweet pea planting- an update

Thats what I like to see,  little green heads poking out

The great sweet pea growing debacle has begun for another year.  One year, I will figure them out and grow trays upon trays, but the way things are progressing, chances are it will not be this year.  About a month ago I sowed my first batch of seeds and there has now been enough activity for a progress check.

My seedlings got their wiggle on, light does not lead to aesthetically pleasing
straight seedlings

The first thing to comment on is the soaking method.  Before planting, I taught my seeds to swim for an evening in the hope it might help them pop out of their tough little brown bomber jackets and grow.  This part at least has been a success.  I had almost a full house of germination; planted 22 seeds and had about 18 come up.  So yes, it was worth dragging my pyjama'd self out of bed to do that.

Last year I grew my sweet peas indoors which was just a huge mistake.  I might enjoy the central heating but the peas just shot up, became leggy and then collapsed.  Its too cold outside at the moment to just put them straight out, although I am working on possibly providing a little outside shelter soon but for the moment the garage seemed the best option.  Sheltered but not heated with a window for light.  What could go wrong?

There is some serious leg on these seedlings, but other than that look fairly healthy, notice the strangely yellow one, and mr droopy in the front, he isn't coming back

Well lets just say my peas are being a little too keen on going upwards and not keen enough on producing leaves.  Legginess has struck again.  What adds insult to injury is personally, Im not very leggy at all, but the peas?  Oh they are all over that.  Clearly there is some source of heat in that garage unbeknown to me.  Maybe the cats going in there and giving them a warm snuggle behind my back?  Little furry traitor.  I thought keeping a window slightly ajar might help freshen the place out and stop them getting too carried away with themselves, but where as they were about two to three inches tall and threatening leaves last time I checked, this weekend when I paid them a visit it was more like a solid four to five before leaves.

Two of my slightly shorter specimens

To begin with I felt all was lost, lob them into the recycling bin, but actually I don't think the situation is as bad as it first appeared.  Having revisited my post from last year I can see that actually, while taller than I was hoping for, they are significantly more robust than the ones grown last year.  Last year my shoots were pale and thin, and roughly 8 inches to the first leaves.  Not to mention bent over in several places as gravity became too much for them.  At least this years are thicker and green, except one peculiar little guy who is resolutely yellow.  Perfectly healthy and growing in all other aspects, but could virtually join the cast of The Simpsons.  Im hoping this is some peculiarity of the variety.

Now the first leaves have spread I have pinched out the growing tip in the hope of encouraging a little bushiness, which is ironic as in all other areas of my life bushiness is something I would actively avoid.  Even if the very tallest are too tall and will wilt in later life, some of the late comers are significantly shorter.  I don't think I have been helped by one of the mildest Decembers in recent years but then when did the weather ever help my growing activities.  So we will see, maybe they will be ok, or maybe I will have to plant every last seed currently in my possession to get five, but either way every time I do this I learn something.  Like how much I hate growing sweet peas.