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Growing Sweet Peas

submitted on 22 March 2013
Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) are amongst the most popular annual flowers, due to their wide range of colours, and their usefulness as cut flowers for the home. They are also relatively easy to grow and can be sown direct into the soil, though you may find that you have a lower rate of germination than if you had raised your seeds in pots.

Like growers of exhibition sweet peas, in milder areas you can sow during October or November and overwinter the young plants in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse. In colder areas early March is soon enough for the ordinary gardener.

You will often find seeds sold as mixed colours but you can buy named varieties so that you can choose the colours you want. In addition to the usual types, smaller cultivars are available for planting in containers and hanging baskets.

Sow seed individually in root trainers or 3in pots filled with a good seed compost such as John Innes no. 1, or five to seven seeds to a 5in pot, spacing the seeds ¾-1¼in apart. Water the compost well before sowing then cover the seeds with ½in of compost.

Cover the pots with clear polythene or glass and keep at about 15°C (59°F), removing the covering after germination. Where you have sown multiple seedlings in a pot they should be potted on in 3 inch pots when they have reached about 1½ inches. I have just started four 3inch pots in an unheated greenhouse and all four seeds have germinated despite the temperature not getting much above 5°C.

There is no need to soak or rub the seed coat to encourage germination.

When the seedlings have developed four leaves, nip out the top two to encourage bushiness.

Keep the plants in the greenhouse until they are 4 inches tall, then harden them off for a week.

Plant out seedlings after the final spring frost 8in-1ft apart.

If sown in autumn, over winter the seedlings in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse, allowing ventilation but protecting from heavier frosts.

Grow sweet peas in full sun or very light dappled shade.

Prior to planting dig the ground thoroughly and add a slow release fertiliser such as growmore or blood fish and bone.

Provide supports for your plants to grow up , eg twiggy sticks, canes or netting.

Loosen the roots of the sweet peas and plant them roughly nine inches apart in a light, sunny position, watering them in well.

Ensure that your plants do not suffer from lack of water but remember not to water during the hottest part of the day. Extra feeding shouldn't be necessary if your soil was well prepared.

Enjoy the flowers, which should start to appear from late May to early June. To prolong flowering pick your sweet peas every other day and always remove any seed pods.

Sweet peas can suffer from a wide range of problems, though they are not usually very serious. Mice may eat the seeds during germination, after which slugs and snails may take over. Take precautions.

Your plants may at some time suffer from powdery mildew, scorched foliage, leafy gall and bud drop. If they get mosaic virus, which is spread by aphids, you should pull out affected plants to prevent it spreading.

I hope you have a good display of sweet peas - I'm looking forward to the warmer weather and seeing those colourful blooms in my garden.

 







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