Care Of Sweet Peas - How To Grow Sweet Peas

Sweet peas are happiest with their heads in the sun and their roots deep in cool, moist soil. When possible, plant low-growing annuals in front of them to shade their roots. Choose a well-drained site. Alkaline soil is best; sprinkle some powdered lime on the surface if your soil tends to be acidic.

1. What do sweet peas need to grow well?
2. Do Sweet peas need direct sunlight?
3. What fertilizer is good for sweet peas?
4. Do I cut back sweet peas?
5. What month do you plant sweet peas?
6. Do Sweet peas need a trellis?
7. Should you pinch out sweet peas?
8. Is Miracle Grow good for sweet peas?
9. Why won't my sweet peas grow?
10. How long do sweet peas last in the garden?
11. How do you revive sweet peas?
12. Can sweet peas grow in hanging baskets?
13. Do you prune perennial sweet peas?
14. Which sweet peas have the strongest scent?
15. How long does it take to grow a sweet pea flower?
16. What to use for peas to climb?
17. How deep do you plant sweet peas?
18. Do sweet peas reseed themselves?
19. Are sweet peas invasive?

What do sweet peas need to grow well?

Sweet peas love a rich, moist soil so dig a couple of buckets of compost into the planting area beforehand to enrich the soil and hold moisture during dry weather. Alternatively, plant sweet peas out in large containers on the patio.

Do Sweet peas need direct sunlight?

Make sure you plant the sweet peas outside after the last frost date in your area. Choose a spot in full sun or very light dappled shade with rich, well-drained soil. Add plenty of organic matter in the weeks before you plant the seedlings out.

What fertilizer is good for sweet peas?

Start feeding with a high potash fertiliser, such as tomato food, when flowers appear. Regular picking will encourage more flowers and prevent plants from setting seed. Water sweet peas growing in pots, and during very dry weather.

Do I cut back sweet peas?

Cut perennial Lathyrus back to ground level in autumn or, preferably, leave the cutting back until February so the dead stems provide cover for wildlife in winter. Simply pull out and compost annual sweet peas once flowering has finished at the end of summer. In hot, dry seasons this might be a bit sooner.

What month do you plant sweet peas?

How to sow sweet peas. Sow your sweet peas seeds anytime from October until March, two seeds to a pot. You can sow your sweet pea seeds in March but growing sweet peas over winter will produce stronger, more robust plants.

Do Sweet peas need a trellis?

Because Sweet Peas are vining, they need support to grow up and flower. Many types of structures can work such as a trellis, supports with mesh or twine, or fences. They need a structure that is well anchored in the ground to support the weight of the vines.

Should you pinch out sweet peas?

Pinching out sweet peas will force the plant hormones called auxins to move to the side or auxiliary tips. The auxins will produce growth and for new and stronger growing tips. Pinching out sweet peas will provide you with more blooms for cutting. It's one of the wonders of growing these delightful vines.

Is Miracle Grow good for sweet peas?

Before sowing seeds or planting out, improve the soil with bulky organic matter or soil conditioner to help hold plenty of moisture. Add a general feed to the soil, such as Miracle-Gro Growmore Garden Plant Food, Miracle-Gro® Fish, Blood & Bone All Purpose Plant Food or a controlled release feed.

Why won't my sweet peas grow?

All they really need is a little compost, and they won't even need that if you're growing them in rich soil. If they get too much nitrogen, they produce lush green foliage at the expense of flowers. ... Lawn fertilizer has a high nitrogen content, so keep it away from your sweet peas.

How long do sweet peas last in the garden?

Trimming each stem by 1/4 inch periodically also stimulates the flower to drink in the water for a longer time, helping extend bloom life. If you actively maintain your cut sweet peas, they may last beautifully for up to one week.

How do you revive sweet peas?

If you return from holiday and find the friends or neighbours didn't pick enough and the plants have start to set seed, then do not despair! Instead, remove all flower stems, water and feed. This should hopefully revive the plants and they'll start to bloom again.

Can sweet peas grow in hanging baskets?

Patio sweet peas work well when grown in containers and hanging baskets without other plants to create a delightful and eyecatchihg display. Alternatively, they can be grown with other plants where they will wind their way up the stems to create spectacular effects.

Do you prune perennial sweet peas?

It is deciduous and should be cut back to ground level in the autumn. There is also a variety called Lathyrus grandiflorus, which you may want to give a miss as it is vigorous, bordering on invasive, whereas L. latifolius is well behaved and makes a great easy to grow garden climbing plant.

Which sweet peas have the strongest scent?

Noted for its outstanding fragrance, award-winner Lathyrus odoratus 'Matucana' is a vigorous climbing annual with usually up to 4 large, violet and deep crimson flowers per stem. Deservedly popular, it is reported to be the strongest scented Sweet Pea in the world and is more heat tolerant than most.

How long does it take to grow a sweet pea flower?

Sweetpea Flower Times

After germination, the seedlings develop into bushy plants before producing buds and flowers. The time between planting seeds and flowering is generally three to four months.

What to use for peas to climb?

Climbing peas may reach 6 to 8 feet tall and they need a sturdy trellis. Peas climb with 1" tendrils that they wrap around anything that's less than about a quarter inch. String, twine, trellis netting or wire mesh with a grid no less than 1" square, all work well.

How deep do you plant sweet peas?

When sowing seed in the garden, plant the seeds 1 inch deep and 2 to 3 inches apart. If they do not all germinate within two to four weeks, depending on the cultivar, dig down to see if they're still there.

Do sweet peas reseed themselves?

Sweet peas are annual plants and will readily self-sow. The flowers go to seed if left uncut and form pods that vaguely resemble the pods of edible peas. ... While sweet peas are great attention-stealers, they can also complement some of the showier blooms in your garden.

Are sweet peas invasive?

Cultivated sweet pea (Lathyrus spp.) is a cottage garden staple. ... Both annual and perennial varieties will sow themselves from seed, and perennial sweet peas can spread in other ways, too. Sweet peas are not considered a harmful or invasive plant, but they can be annoying when growing where you don't want them.