11/30/2022 0 Comments Sweet peas![]() ![]() Protect young plants from birds (with netting) and slugs. #Sweet peas full#The best location offers full sun (except in really hot regions where late afternoon shade will be appreciated), rich soil, and good air circulation. Before transplanting, pinch off any flower buds to encourage roots. But don’t let them entwine together into a tangled mess that’s hard to separate before it’s time to transplant into the garden. ![]() You can also start seedlings indoors in a cool place, six to eight weeks before last frost date. This will allow the seed to take up water more easily. To speed germination, before sowing make a small nick in the seed coat with a knife, metal file, or sandpaper. They’ll produce roots but not much top growth until spring. In the South, sweet peas (look for short-day varieties) can be sown outdoors in the fall, October to early November or even in late winter, January-February. A thick layer of mulch will keep roots cool and extend the blooming as long as possible. Flowering will last from spring into summer, and even into fall in some regions. Seedlings can withstand a touch of frost, so don’t stress if the weather turns colder. In cooler climates, sow seeds outdoors in early spring as soon as the soil is workable. Relatively easy to grow, the main thing to remember is that sweet peas like cool weather, requiring about 50 days of temperatures under 60 degrees to bloom well. Since some breeding of sweet peas has actually favored blossom size over scent, be sure the ones you’re buying are scented if that’s an important factor to you. As does a related perennial species, the everlasting pea ( Lathyrus latifolius). While the sweet pea is considered an annual, there are a few perennial cultivars, but they lack fragrance. Most types trail for six to nine feet or so, but there are also shorter forms ideal for containers that are only eight to 20 inches tall. Now, sweet peas come in every color except true yellow, from red to lavender to navy blue, some streaked and flecked. ![]()
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