Make a Garden
Perfect for picking, sweet peas are not only easy to grow but also boast a myriad of stunning colours. Opt to grow them in pots or directly in the ground, and train them up a frame to create an eye-catching display. Plant sweet peas near seating areas to relish their aroma, or pick a few to bring their captivating fragrance indoors.
Start by sowing sweet pea seeds in autumn or spring, and when they reach 10cm in height, pinch out the tips for bushier growth. Transplant them outside in mid-spring, keeping them well-watered, and support them with ties if needed. Feed them with high-potash fertiliser once flower buds appear and pick flowers regularly to encourage more blooms. For autumn sowing, provide frost-free shelter until spring. To facilitate germination, nick the seed coat avoiding the 'eye' area, sow in 9cm pots with peat-free compost, and place in a cold frame or greenhouse.
Nick the seed coat to help germination.
Protection: Grow sweet peas vertically up trellis, supports and guides. Watering: Water frequently during hot spells. Position: Sweet peas love to be in full sun in well-drained soil.
Plant out autumn-sown sweet peas or direct sow once the last frost has passed.
In summer, train sweet peas up a trellis, water frequently and deadhead spent flowers.
Collect up seed pods for next year and start sowing undercover in root trainers.
Sow sweet peas undercover in root trainers to promote strong spring growth.
Young sweet pea plants are susceptible to slug and snail damage; to protect them, consider employing beer traps, copper bands, or the biological control Nemaslug. Additionally, insufficient light, poor soil quality, and nutrient deficiencies can hinder blooming, while allowing old flowers to form seeds may also affect the size and abundance of the blossoms.
