Guide the peas up the support tying in if necessary
When the flowers begin it is very important to keep picking them and do not let any go to seed or the flowers will stop being produced
Picking all the open flowers or almost open flowers on the same day each week is best. It only takes a day or two for more buds to open and colour to return to the garden until the next week.
Plant three seeds in a 7cm pot and germinate at 20C. in early spring Once germinated the plant can be grown on in cooler conditions, for example a cold frame. Lift the lid of the cold frame when ever possible to keep conditions cool and the plants short
Look to ensure a distance 7.8 inches (20.0 cm) between seeds when sowing - bury at a depth of at least 0.39 inches (1.0 cm) deep. Soil temperature should be kept higher than 10°C / 50°F to ensure good germination.By our calculations*, you should look at sowing Sweet pea about 42 days before your last frost date .
Transfer to a cold frame and grow on.
Pinch out the tops when there are three leaves, this will make more side shoots and hopefully more flowers
Plant out in a sunny position with canes or net for support as the soil warms up
Once a week(easy to remember if you always do it on the same day!) Pick ALL the flowers and (almost) flowers and use them in your home.
The plant quickly grows some more and it is not without colour for long. This way the plants will last all season and you will have flowers in vases too
If you want to save seed for next year, towards the end of the season select your stem or stems and mark it with coloured wool (so you don’t cut it off before it is ready!)
Allow the pod to swell before cutting and drying.
Seed viability is five years.
These estimates for how long Sweet pea takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.
Average 12 days | Min 2 days | Max 36 days (270)
Average 38 days | Min 4 days | Max 90 days (107)
Average 98 days | Min 3 days | Max 193 days (564)
Our when to plant Sweet pea estimates are relative to your last frost date.
Sweetpea
Lathyrus odoratus L.
Misspellings: Lathyrus adoratus, sweetpea, sweet-pea, sweatpea, sweat pea