How To Plant, Grow And Care For Sweet Peas

• Common Name: Sweet pea, Perennial pea, Everlasting pea
• Botanical Name: Lathyrus odoratus
• Family: Fabaceae
• Plant Type: Annual, vine
• Mature size: 6-8 ft tall
• Sun exposure: Full, partial
• Soil type and pH: Well-drained, Alkaline
• Blooming season: Summer, fall
• Flower Color: Red, pink, blue, white, lavender

Sweet pea is a climbing annual plant with a sweet smell in the legume genus. These flowers are at home in a cutting garden, border garden, woodland, or twinning lazily on a rustic trellis or an arch.

They are available in many colors, from pearly white to ritzy magentas and inky purples. Also, you can find several sweet pea varieties for every situation, from 8-foot-plus scramblers to dwarf bedding ones, suitable for containers and borders without support.

The fast-growing ones lend a nostalgic aura to the gardens and a reminder of the beautiful old-fashioned gardens. Their dainty winged blossoms are matched only by their honey and orange blossom perfume.

These vintage varieties were selected for their vibrant colors and intense fragrance and come in every color except yellow. They are grown on bamboo tripods but typically along a trellis or fence for support.

Sweet peas are a charming addition to any garden bed with their cascading blooms and intoxicating fragrance. The planting of sweet peas can be done in two ways: directly sowing into the ground or by starting them indoors for early blooming. 

You can aim for cool spring weather to imply both methods, ideally a few weeks before the last frost. Make sure to choose a sunny location and well-drained soil. These plants are light feeders, but amending the soil with some compost manure will be beneficial. 

When To Plant Sweet Peas

If your location does not experience frost, sweet peas will benefit from being sown outside in November where you would like them to grow. Dig a trench and fill it with rotted manure or compost 6 weeks before sowing the seeds, as they need a good boost of nutrients to thrive. 

However, at most locations where the frost occurs, sweet peas should be sown indoors for protection. In these locations, sweet peas should be planted very late winter or early spring as soon as the soil is dry enough to work. When the frost risk passes, plant them outside in a trench or soil enriched by compost or well-rotted manure. 

Sowing Seeds Indoors

• In the coldest parts, get a jump on the season by starting sweet peas indoors in a seed tray. Sow in seed-starting containers in early spring, about 6 weeks before the last frost, and plant them as soon as the soil is workable. 
• Soaking the seeds overnight first softens the outer coating and aids germination. Lightly scoring the outer shell with a nail file can help, too. 
• Sow the seeds half an inch deeper in the individual cells of a seed tray, but be aware that their long roots can tangle and make separation difficult. 
• Once they show their first pea-like leaves, gently scoop them out and put them in a larger pot to harden off. As soon as the soil is workable, plant them outside. 

Sowing Seeds In the Ground

The sweet peas are happiest with their heads popping out in the sun and their roots hiding beneath the cool, moist soil. Then, plant low-growing annuals in front of sweet peas to shade their roots, if possible. 

• Select a well-drained location with alkaline soil. Sprinkle powdered line on the surface if your soil is acidic. 
• Prepare a rich soil mix with generous amounts of compost and well-rotted manure to a depth of 2 feet. 
• Before planting, dig a compost trench of about 4 inches in depth. Then, make the holes with the pencil, drop the seeds, press down on the soil, and shut down any light. 
• Soak the seeds 24 hours before planting and nick the seeds with a nail file before planting. 

Sweet peas can transform your space into a fragrant oasis with delicate blooms and intoxicating fragrances. While their beauty may seem delicate, these cool-season flowers are surprisingly easier to grow by directly sowing seeds outdoors in early spring or starting them indoors before the last frost. Once planted, germination can take 7-15 days, depending on the soil temperature.

Regardless of the method, these plants will thrive in sunny locations with well-drained soil and a trellis or other support structures due to their climbing nature. Here is how you can grow sweet peas:

• As seedlings emerge and grow, fill in the trench gradually and add more soil up to them. 
• Keep the soil moist. Summer rain may be abundant. If you keep your fingers in the soil bed and the soil is dry, water them at the soil level in the morning. 
• No need for fertilizers, if you use plenty of aged manure and compost while planting. You can use high potash fees, as nitrogen feeds encourage top growth. 
• When plants are established, mulch well to keep the soil cool and moist and you may not need to water the plants unless the soil gets dry.
• Pinch off the tops when the plants are 6 inches tall to encourage bushy growth. 

Provides Support

Sweet peas prefer cooler days and nights and will start to fade when temperatures rise above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Give them at least 6 feet of good support as they are real climbers except for bush types. 

Other visually pleasing support materials include bamboo poles in a tee-pee style, a woven willow obelisk, or a trellis. If you don't have a trellis, provide bushy, stubbly twigs that they can cling to.

Tie the first few steams into the support and when the other stem reaches 4-8 inches high, pinch out the middle growing tip with thumb and forefinger.

Picking Flowers

Pick up the flowers for bouquets and the plant will put energy into more blooms instead of going to seed. The more you pick, the more flower it produces, until the first frost. 

As the leaves lose their color, let a few of the last flowers from pots and dry them on window sill and store them in a dry place to sow next year. 

The sweet peas are usually directly sown and you can start by seeding indoors about four to five weeks before the last frost date. They can be taken outdoors when the ground is warmed to about 50 degrees Fahrenheit and is not too wet.

Seeds need to be sacrificed by soaking in water for several hours to soften the coating to assist germination. The seeds germinate in soil temperatures from 55 to 65 F.

Plant them in holes about 2 inches deep and drop 2 to 4 seeds per hole with holes spaced 4-6 inches apart. Water thoroughly and keep the soil moist until the seeds sprout. Pinch the seedings to encourage the vigorous side shoots when the plant grows 4 inches tall. 

To increase branching, which produces more flowering stems, pinch off the growing tips back 1 inch when the plant height reaches to 4 inches. The more you cut the flowers, the more blooms you should get. Use sharp pruners or scissors when pruning your sweet peas to make clear cuts and reduce damage.

You can deadhead the spent flowers to encourage their consistent blooming throughout the season. The deadheading not only keeps the plant looking tidy but also encourages it to produce more flowers.

By removing spent blooms, the plant won't be focused on seed production and can divert its energy towards creating new flowers. Also, you can pinch back the lateral shoots occasionally, further helping direct energy flow toward the main flowering stems for larger blooms. 

Sweet peas are best grown from seeds, however, you can use the seed cuttings if you don't have seeds and want to produce more plants. These cuttings will catch up to soil-grown plants if taken in early spring. 

• First, you need materials like a jar of water, scissors, a healthy seedling segment, and root hormones if needed. 
• Cut a 5-6 inch stem segment from a healthy seedling, above a pair of leaves, leaving few nodes to allow for new growth. 
• Optionally give rooting hormone to promote healthier more robust rooting success; Dip the cut end of the stem into hormone, and put the cut end into a jar of water and place it where they receive indirect sunlight. 
• Once you notice the growth, plant each rooted steam cutting in the soil in between 1-2 weeks. Give it about one hour of fresh air daily and wait until new growth emerges in between 5-6 weeks. 

These plants can also be potted into planters and placed indoors. With just a few steps you can have a lovely new pea plant for your home. 

For this, you must remove the nursery plant from its container and then brush off the excess soil from its roots. Then, place it into a large planter and report the soil back into it by pressing down the soil to remove air bubbles for maximum growth.

Potting

• Select a large pot, 12-18 inches deep and wide, to adjust their long taproots. The pot should have drainage holes to prevent waterlogging.
• Fill the pot with a potting mix and add organic matter like compost or manure to improve drainage and provide nutrients. 
• Sow or transplant the sweet pea outdoors in the pot after the frost risk passes or start seeds indoors a few weeks before the last frost and transplant them into a pot when the seedlings grow a few inches. 
• Support with a trellis for your sweet peas to climb, creating a decorative archway. Water regularly, keeping the soil moist but not soggy adjusting to temperature conditions. 

Repotting

if you want to start seeds indoors in smaller pots, repot them into larger containers before transplanting them outdoors. Here's how you can repot:

• Repot seedlings after they develop a few sets of leaves and the roots start outgrowing the smaller pot.
• Carefully remove the seedlings from the smaller pot, holding the plant's base to avoid damaging the stem. 
• Choose a pot, which is a few inches larger in diameter than the current pot and fill it with fresh potting mix. 
• Then place the seedlings in the new pot and fill the gaps with fresh potting mix. Water thoroughly to settle the soil around the roots.

For sweet peas to grow and thrive, these plants need proper care regarding light, temperature, weather conditions, and the way it need to be treated. Plant your sweet peas during the late winter or early spring providing full sun. Sow 2-3 seeds together about 1 inch deep in compost, enriched in well-draining moist and alkaline soil. 

These plants love cool weather and are available for short windows, so most gardeners plant seeds directly in the garden. Though you can start seeds indoors a few weeks before sowing, they can be challenging to move if you start early. 

Light

The flowers of sweet peas thrive in sunlight exposure. In areas with hot and humid summers, they can benefit from light during the afternoon. To provide the plant's life and keep the vines from wilting, grow sweet peas in areas providing abundant afternoon shade. 

Water

Sweet peas need weekly watering to moisten the soil during their growing season. You need to check the soil by placing your finger on whether it is dry or not and can add watering up to the soil level. If it is moist, there is no need to water the plants as it might waterlogged, hampering the plant's growth. 

Temperature And Humidity

Being originated in the Mediterranean, they can tolerate an occasional chill but do best if planted after the last frost and warm temperatures. Sweet pea seedlings can tolerate light frost, but they dislike sweltering temperatures.

Fertilizers

Throughout the growing season, apply fertilizer for sweet peas monthly. Adding a bit of bone or blood meal to the soil can help keep the stems long and suitable for cutting. You can choose fertilizer, rich in potassium or phosphorus. 

Soil

These plants need deep, well-draining humus-rich soil with a neutral alkaline pH value. You can dig a trench, 12 inches deep and fill it with a soil mixture containing compost and organic manure. Amend the soil with compost in the fall or at least a week before planting in order to get the best results. 

Sweet peas need at least 6-8 hours of sun daily, the more the sun, the more it will help to bloom. These plants prefer rich soil, so compost enriched with added phosphorus can encourage blooms. 

These flowers can boom for six to eight weeks, depending on the climatic conditions, as the heated temperature can cause the plants to degrade. 

Blooming Months

The flowering time of sweet peas depends on the climate conditions. These plants prefer cool temperatures and will start to fade in high heat. The areas with cooler temperatures can expect them to bloom in late spring (May or June) or fall (September or October). 

Short-day plants flower during months with shorter days, such as fall and winter. At the same time, the long-day plants need longer days to initiate buds and blooms. 

How To Encourage More Blooms

To encourage more blooms, deadhead or remove spent flowers so the plants focus their energy to produce more flowers instead of pea pods. Also, use fertilizers, rich in phosphorus instead of nitrogen-rich fertilizers.

Even before they grow, sweet peas can become the victim of hungry rodents, digging up the seeds. Until the seedlings grow, protective netting or wire baskets can help to keep the pests away.

Pests like aphids, leaf miners, spider mites, and thrips can attack sweet peas. Also, the slugs and snails can cause a threat too. Knock off these pests with a strong stream of water and keep sweet peas weeded so that pests can't hide nearby.

Possible diseases include downy mildew, leaf spot, rust, virus diseases, and root and crown rot can be found around these plants. You can prevent these diseases and rot by giving plants good air circulation and water with drip irrigation to keep foliage dry.