Related questions and answers
Pinch out the leader – the growing tip – when there are three or four pairs already grown. Just squeeze it off between your finger and thumb, reducing the plant to one to two inches in height.
Sowing annual sweet peas
Sweetpeas can be sown in spring (either in containers or in the border), but if sown at this time of year they tend to make sturdier plants. Autumn-sown seeds will overwinter in a cold frame, cold greenhouse or porch.
They require regular irrigation and fertilizing but just a little pruning.
- Use your thumb and pointer finger to pinch off the growing tip of each sweet pea plant when it grow to a height of 6 inches.
- Deadhead sweet pea blossoms as they begin to wilt by clipping or pinching them off just below the flower head.
It's Time to Plant Fall Peas
Why, yes, if your first frost date is still at least two months away like ours. Peas may be the proverbial spring vegetable, but they are also well-suited for late summer plantings to mature in early fall, given that they are a vegetable that prefers cooler weather.
You may find the top of the soil is bone dry but that it becomes moist as you dig deeper. If the soil feels dry at that depth, water. Don't Overwater. Soil can hold only so much water, so don't waste the precious liquid by smothering the plants' roots.
Cutting off the tendrils is not essential, but it does prevent them from getting tangled up with their neighbours and the flower stems. As the flowers open keep cutting; this stimulates further flower production. Never leave seeds to develop on the plants. Remember that sweet peas are annuals.
Dwarf sweet pea varieties are well-suited for growing in hanging baskets, from which their trailing vines cascade. Sweet peas grow as annuals in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 11.
Well, we are all too late for that but over the years I have experimented with many ways of growing sweet peas, sowing in October, January, February, March and even as late as May as well as using pots, plugs and direct into the soil.
There is never a guarantee that your plant can bounce back from overwatering. At this point, you can move your plant back to its original location and resume watering it as normal. It's important to water your plants properly from the start and to make sure they have plenty of drainage.
Peas grow best in soil with a pH between 6 and 7.5. Use well-rotted manure or compost at planting. Continuous use of high phosphorus fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 15-30-15, or high rates of manure or manure compost results in phosphorus buildup in the soil.
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.
To pinch sweet pea plants, wait until they are 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm.) high. Take the growing tip between your forefinger and thumbnail and snip the growing tip off using your nail as your blade. Pinching out sweet peas will force the plant hormones called auxins to move to the side or auxiliary tips.
Soak the seeds in water for 24 hours before sowing. This softens the seed coat and speeds up the sprouting process. While the seeds are soaking, fill your planting pots with good quality potting soil. Sweet peas produce abundant roots, so use the deepest pots you can find.
Why are my sweet pea plants not blooming? Sweet peas prefer a poor soil. If they are over fertilized they may grow into larger plants with many leaves but few flowers. They also need full sun, at least six hours per day.
If the soil is wet, it's overwatered - if it's dry, it's underwatered. Browning edges: Another symptom that can go both ways. Determine which by feeling the leaf showing browning: if it feels crispy and light, it is underwatered. If it feels soft and limp, it is overwatered.
The main tip when growing sweet peas and broad beans in toilet roll holders, is to take care when watering and avoid soaking the cardboard otherwise it may go soggy and collapse. Sowing sweet peas and broad beans now is the ideal time as they are hardy annuals and love to get their roots down when it is cold and wet.
Leaves starting to go yellow on the bottom of the plant is usually caused by over-watering, or by watering from a cold hosepipe. It can also be caused by the compost being used being too rich and burning the roots of the plants. This is very common in containers with too many plants.
Throughout the season you'll need to keep your flowers well watered, as dry soil makes them go to seed quicker. Once your sweet pea plants are in full flower make sure that you dead-head them and remove seed pods as soon as possible to encourage more blooms to be produced.
Peas need a deep watering right at the time of planting in order to help them establish themselves in their new home. Provide at least one inch of water per week and try to keep the soil from drying out completely, checking moisture levels daily.
Peas and Beans
They need some sun (about four to five hours per day) to produce flowers and pods, but they tend to fade out as the temperature warms. Planting them in a cool shady spot will lengthen your growing season.
Planting out sweet peas
You can buy sweet pea plug plants in spring. Plant them in fertile soil beneath a support, such as a wigwam made of bamboo canes. Most sweet peas will grow to about 2m in height. Water in well until they've put on good growth.
I love growing sweet peas on wigwams in an ornamental bed. Bamboo tripods and obelisks create height and structure in a flower bed and when festooned in fragrant sweet peas the effect is undeniably stunning.
All plants grown in containers dry out more quickly, which makes Sweet Peas prone to attack by mildew. If you are growing Sweet peas in containers, consider adding water retaining gel and a good mulch to retain moisture. It also follows they will require regular watering, especially during dry spells.
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. Plant the seedlings about 20cm apart and water in. Keep the plants well-watered, especially during dry spells.
Sweet Pea Quick Reference Growing Chart
| Bloom Time: | Late winter-early summer, depending on location | Soil pH: |
| Exposure: | Full sun to part shade | Soil Drainage: |
| Time to Maturity: | Plant in fall for spring growth | Companion Planting: |
| Spacing: | 6 feet | Uses: |
| Planting Depth: | 1/2-2 inches, check seed packets | Family: |
The key to growing peas is to plant them early enough in spring so they mature while the weather is still cool. This means planting in February, March, or April in most parts of the United States and Canada.
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.
