How do you grow Sturt’s Desert Pea?
To grow the Sturt’s desert pea, it needs perfect drainage, full sun, and minimal watering once the seedling becomes established. A good way to grow in the garden, is in a large tub or a terracotta drainage pipe stood upright and filled with gritty free draining soil. Hanging baskets are also a great way to grow them. Sturt’s Desert Pea is also known as ‘Ngooringa’ and is the floral emblem of South Australia. Loves dry warm climates, full sun and sandy soils.Swainsona formosa, commonly known as Sturt’s desert pea or Sturt pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is native to all continental states and the Northern Territory of Australia, with the exception of Victoria.Sturt’s desert pea is widespread in arid parts of inland Australia, including in Western Australia, South Australia, the southern parts of the Northern Territory, western parts of New South Wales and in Queensland.
Can you eat Sturt Desert Pea seeds?
sturt desert pea is a leguminous plant that produces pea-like seeds. These seedpods develop after flowering when they can be collected, dried and used if needed. Native australians are known to eat the roasted seeds or make cakes with them by grinding the seeds and then baking them. Here is some tips on growing the sturts desert pea from one of our senior horticultural staff 😊 the sturts desert pea is not any easy plant to grow, but if you get the parameters right you can make a wonderful display, which we propagate and grow every year.Seeds need to be scarified before sowing to allow imbibition of water to occur. Cuttings should be dipped into a root hormone powder before being planted into a loose, well draining medium (5 parts perlite : 1 part coir). Attempts at grafting the Sturt’s Desert Pea have been successful.
Can I plant peas in October?
Fall is the best time to plant peas. If you plant pea seeds or seedlings in October/November, the plant tops will continue to grow until day length shortens and temperatures drop. Then, with water from rain (hopefully) or your hose, the roots will continue to grow unseen. Peas are annual plants, with a life cycle of one year. They are a cool-season crop grown in many parts of the world; planting can take place from winter to early summer depending on location.Peas are easy to grow, but their growing period is limited. It’s essential to plant them early enough in spring so they mature while the weather is still cool! This means planting in most parts of the United States and Canada in February, March, or April.Peas usually grow well in most soils without any need for fertiliser. But if you’re growing peas in a container, start feeding when the first flowers appear, using a high potassium organic liquid fertiliser, such as tomato feed, once a fortnight.Fertilizing: Peas generally need little or no fertilizer when grown in soil. If grown in a container, a light dose of a fertilizer for fruiting plants, such as 5-10-10 may be applied early in their growth.
How long do peas take to grow from seed?
Starting seeds Most varieties of peas need about 60 days of growth before harvest. To obtain good yield complete sowing between October end to Middle of November. Further delay in sowing will lead to yield loss. For early market, some growers sow peas in second fortnight of October. Use spacing of 30cmx5cm for early varieties and for late varieties use spacing of 45-60cm x 10cm.Depending on the variety, Sweet Peas will start flowering 12-16 weeks after sowing. Once they start flowering, pick bunches of flowers as often as you like. Frequent picking will help promote a longer flowering season.
Can I sow peas in September?
Sowing Sweet Peas in September Plant them in September to enjoy their blooms by spring. Soak your sweet pea seeds overnight or chip them to encourage germination. Sow your sweet peas in pots indoors or in your greenhouse. Add free-draining compost to encourage healthy growth. If you keep cutting them little and often, watering well, and deadheading old blooms, sweet peas can flower all the way through the summer and as late as October. In warmer parts of the USA they may well peak later in the season, September-October.