Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Planting Sweet Pea Seeds
• Part 2 of 3: Planting Sweet Peas
• Part 3 of 3: Caring for Sweet Peas
• Tips

Fragrant, assembled sweet pea flowers add a whimsical touch to any garden. A curly tendril develops on the sweet pea, which allows it to climb fences and trellises, creating a magical atmosphere. They grow easily in many climates with proper preparation for the growing season. See Step 1 to learn how to grow these delightful flowers.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Planting Sweet Pea Seeds

1. 1 Buy sweet pea seeds. Sweet peas are usually grown from seeds. You can either plant it in seed trays indoors and later transplant it to your garden bed, or plant it outdoors right away. The seeds can be purchased at any garden store. Look for rare varieties in online stores.
   • "Old fashioned" sweet peas will produce highly fragrant flowers.
   • Spencer cultivars are bright in color but less aromatic. You will find them in pink, purple, blue, white and red.
2. 2 Determine when to start planting seeds. Sweet peas can be grown in any zone, but knowing the right time to get them ready is important. They should be planted as early as possible to form a strong root system and survive the summer. Therefore, starting planting seeds early in the year is usually the best solution.
   • If you live in a temperate zone where the ground does not freeze in winter, you can plant your seeds directly in the ground as early as November, although planting in January or February is fine too. Water it during the winter and sweet peas will appear in the spring.
   • If you live in an area where the winters are cold, plant the seeds indoors. This way, the seedlings will be ready for planting as soon as the first frost has passed. If you wait too long to plant the seeds, they won't have time to take root in the soil until summer when the weather turns hot.
3. 3 Soak or cut the seeds. Sweet pea seeds have the best chance of germinating if you punch through the seed coat before planting. You can do this, either by soaking them in a pot of water overnight, or using a tiny knife or nail scissors to cut the surface of each seed.
   • If you have soaked seeds, only plant the ones that swell during the night soak. Discard those that have not changed in size.
4. 4 Sow the seeds in your seed substrate. 5 weeks before the last frost (usually mid-February or so), prepare small seed trays or peat containers with starter seed mixture. Sow seeds 3 cm deep and 8 cm apart, or in separate compartments.
5. 5 Keep them warm and moist. Water the seed trays and lightly cover them with plastic wrap for the first week to regulate the temperature. Keep them in a greenhouse or on a sunny window in a room where the temperature will not drop below 20 ° C. Once the seedlings are germinated, peel off the plastic and keep them moist and warm until it's time to plant them right after the last frost.
   • If you are using seed trays, thin out the seedlings so that the seedlings are 14 cm apart as soon as the leaves sprout.
   • Pluck flowers and buds prior to replanting, so that the energy of the seedlings is directed to the new growing roots.

Part 2 of 3: Planting Sweet Peas

1. 1 Choose a sunny spot in your yard or garden. Sweet peas of all varieties grow well in sunny areas, making them an excellent choice for exposed fences and walls. In the heat of summer, sweet peas grow well in partial shade, but it is best to find a sunny spot somewhere on the safe side. Since sweet peas curl, find a spot where they can grow towards the sky. It produces small tendrils that will cover any type of post if you plant it next to it.
   • Sweet peas are a great natural decoration for fences. If you have a wood or chain link fence that you want to decorate, plant sweet peas there.
   • Sweet peas are often grown on trellises or arches. This is another great choice and will also give your garden a country cottage look.
   • If you don't have a suitable spot for the sweet peas, put some bamboo props in the garden and plant the sweet peas there. This will add some height and beauty to your garden. Alternatively, you can create a rack tower in a pot or small gazebo.
   • You can plant sweet peas among other plants such as shrubs or vegetables.
2. 2 Enrich the soil. Sweet peas grow best in fertile, well-drained soil. Prepare the soil for planting by cultivating it to a depth of 15 cm and fertilizing with compost or manure. This is especially important if your soil is heavy and clayey; you will need to put in extra compost to make sure the soil absorbs water, which is good enough for sweet pea roots.
   • To determine if the soil is draining well enough, observe it after a heavy rain. If water collects and the puddles take a long time to dry, the soil is not drained. If the water is absorbed immediately, it is good for the seedlings.
   • Raised beds are a good option if you think your soil is too clayey and too heavy to grow seedlings. They also come in handy for other plants you want to grow.
3. 3 Plant sweet peas in early spring. Whether you are planting seeds inside and planting seedlings or you want to plant seeds directly in your garden bed, early spring is the time to do it. If you live in a warm place where the ground never freezes, you can plant them in January or February. If you live in an area where the ground freezes, wait for the first frost to pass and plant in early to mid April.
4. 4 Dig holes for the sweet peas. If you are replanting seedlings, dig holes 14 cm apart and deep enough to plant the seedlings with a root ball in the ground. Pat the fresh soil around the stems of the seedlings lightly. For seeds that you plant directly into the ground, dig holes 3 cm deep and 8 cm apart. When they germinate, you need to thin them out so that they are 14 cm apart so that each plant has enough room to grow.
5. 5 Water the sweet peas. Finish by giving the plants a good dose of fresh water. Sweet peas will start growing rapidly as soon as the weather is warm.

Part 3 of 3: Caring for Sweet Peas

1. 1 Water it frequently during the hotter months. Sweet peas should be beautiful and moisturized throughout the summer. Water it lightly every day if it is not raining. Check the soil surrounding the sweet pea stalks frequently to make sure it is not dry.
2. 2 Fertilize once a month. Sweet peas are quite prolific, and applying a light fertilizer every month will keep them blooming for many weeks. This is optional, but useful if you want it to produce more colors. Use compost, manure, or high potassium fertilizer.
3. 3 Harvest flowers regularly. Cutting flowers encourages new ones to grow, so feel free to bring some fresh flowers or make a bouquet for a friend. Wait for the flowers to reach their peak aromas and colors before cutting. You should also remove faded flowers, which drain the plant's energy and prevent new flowers from emerging.
4. 4 Save the seed pods from your plants for next year's sowing. Sweet pea is an annual plant and won't come back on its own next year, but you can enjoy it again if you save the seeds and plant them again in winter or spring, depending on where you live.
5. 5 Pinch the stems when they are only 15 centimeters or more in length. This stimulates the growth of side shoots and the formation of flowers. You can simply pinch off the stem with your nails.

Tips

• The smell is captivating in the middle of summer when they are in full bloom.
• Sweet pea is a purely ornamental plant, not an edible plant. If you eat a lot of it, it is even poisonous!