These cool-weather annual spring bloomers add fragrance to gardens and bouquets.
Sweet peasare among the gardenflowers it’s possible for you to smellbefore you see them.
They love cool weather and will wither as soon as the heat of summer sets in.
Gardeners collected and grew all colors and shapes of the boldly fragrant blossoms.
Sweet peas are toxic to humans and pets.
Because the vines need a trellis or a wire fence, sweet peas are usually grown in rows.
When properly timed, sweet peas do all their growing and blooming before the summer heat sets in.
If your winter is moderately cold, plant them in January or February.
To improve germination, make a tiny cut in the hard seed coat using nail clippers.
This will let the seed absorb moisture.
Sow the seeds 1 inch deep and 2 to 3 inches apart.
Depending on the weather and soil temperature, germination takes between 10 and 28 days.
Once the seedlings are a few inches tall, thin them to 5 to 6 inches apart.
If your climate is humid, space them further apart for better air circulation.
Soil and Water
Before planting, enrich the soil with aged manure or compost.
This will also improve drainage, as sweet peas need well-drained soil.
Sweet Peas grow best in a pH between 7.0 and 7.5.
Spread a 2-inch-thick layer of mulch around the plants.
Watering the sweet peas at all stagesfrom the germination of seeds to the blooming vinesis important.
Water in the absence of rain whenever the top inch of soil feels dry.
Temperature and Humidity
Sweet peas are cool-season bloomers that can handle light frosts.
The ideal temperature is between 65 and 80 degrees F. They do poorly in hot weather and high humidity.
Keep in mind that potted plants need more frequent watering than inground plants.
Also, potted sweet peas should be fertilized with a liquid fertilizer every two weeks.
Repotting wont be required as sweet peas are annuals.
Protect seedlings with netting once they are 4 to 5 inches tall or sprinkle them with diatomaceous earth.
Aphids, another common pest on sweet peas, can be washed off with water from a hose.
Powdery mildew is also common.
After the bloom at the end of their life cycle, the plants often inevitably get powdery mildew.
How to Propagate Sweet Pea
Sweet peas are propagated from seeds as described above.
Leave the seeds pods on the plants until they are fully mature and light brown in color.
Dont wait too long though, or the pods will split open and disperse the seeds.
Place the seeds on a tray and sort out any damaged ones.
Store the seeds in an envelope in a cool and dry place until planting time.
This old heirloom variety that goes back to 1700 makes up for it with a long bloom time.
It is considered fairly heat-tolerant.
The color is described as very dark navy, violet-maroon, or purple-black.
King Edward VII
This vigorous grower has strongly scented crimson or vivid red flowers.
Sweet alyssum flowers are most often found in a crisp, clean white.
It needs excellent drainage.
Bothpansiesand sweet peas do best in cool weather, which makes them excellent companions for spring planting.
A simple fence panel is a great climbing option for a cutting garden.
Sweet pea blossoms make wonderful bouquets.
Mix sweet peas with other seasonal cut flowers, or simply create a bouquet of fragrant sweet pea flowers.
Pick stems in the early morning and plunge them in water right away.
A 15- to 20-foot-long row of sweet peas will provide blossoms for many large bouquets.
Continue harvesting flowers every other day or so to encourage the plant to continue producing flowers.
Updated by Nadia Hassani
“Sweet Pea.“ASPCA.
Lathyrus odoratus.North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
