Are sweet pea flowers easy to grow from seed?
Sweet peas epitomise spring, ushering in seasons of cloudless skies and warm weather. They’re easy to grow (although trickier to perfect) and will reward your care and diligent watering with weeks of blooms and a garden that smells like a parfumerie. Sweet peas are easy to grow in any fertile soil that drains easily, in full sun. Feed weekly or fortnightly with a liquid fertiliser and ensure a regular supply of flowers by picking or deadheading.Sweet peas are heavy feeders so it’s important to amend the planting area. Work in compost or well-rotted manure (I used Purple Cow Compost), and a slow-release, natural fertilizer ( Happy Frog’s All purpose is a good one). I also add a light dusting of bonemeal to provide an extra boost of phosphorus.They need fertiliser As John Clifford, a garden expert from Gardenstone, explains, you should ‘avoid high-nitrogen fertilisers. This can prevent the flowers from blooming but will increase the amount of foliage. Solution: Treat your sweet peas with a high potash fertiliser to give them that boost they need.growing sweet peas from seed couldn’t be easier. You can sow them into pots of compost in autumn and overwinter the young plants in a cold frame or cool greenhouse. Or, you can wait until spring when you can sow into pots or directly into the ground.Sweet peas have big and long root systems with a big and long taproot that grows deep. This is a good thing as far as the plant goes (helps them to establish themselves quickly and readily, even makes the vines pretty drought tolerant) but it can cause some difficulty when you’re starting them from seed.
How long does it take for sweet peas to bloom from seed?
Sweet Peas will start blooming approximately 4 -6 weeks after visible vining. Timing of bloom will depend on whether the plants have been pinched back. Proper timing and technique is key to sowing sweet pea seeds. Here’s how to do it: The recommended sowing time is early October to mid November. Use deep pots like root trainers, about 12-15cm, so the roots can grow long and deep.When To Start: In cold winter areas, sow in seed starting containers in early spring about 6-7 weeks before the last frost date, then plant out as soon as soil can be worked; sweet peas can handle light frosts.If you want to grow your sweet peas in pots, remember that they need really big pots to thrive. Despite their delicate appearance, sweet peas have long, deep tap roots and will rapidly exhaust their growing space and start to struggle if you plant them in small or shallow pots.Some people suggest soaking sweet pea seeds to help them germinate – you may find it helpful to leave them on some damp kitchen paper for 24 hours before sowing – however, I have found they germinate within 2 weeks with or without soaking.
Can I sow sweet peas in September?
Sweet peas are easy to grow from seed in either autumn or spring. If sowing in autumn ensure you have the room to grow them on in a frost-free place until spring. Sweet pea seeds germinate relatively easily. But you can help activate germination by nicking the seed coat with a knife, avoiding the ‘eye’ area. Proper timing and technique is key to sowing sweet pea seeds. Here’s how to do it: The recommended sowing time is early October to mid November. Use deep pots like root trainers, about 12-15cm, so the roots can grow long and deep.People have their favourite times for sowing sweet peas from autumn through to spring but there’s no right or wrong, however, autumn is a great time to sow. Seeds germinate readily now and the young plants make steady growth before winter.There are two distinct ‘types’ of sweet pea: an annual (lathyrus odoratus) that needs sowing from seed each year, and perennial lathyrus (such as lathyrus latifolius) that will keep growing back and appreciates a little maintenance to flourish. Their characteristics can vary, depending on the type you buy.Varieties such as ‘Green Arrow,’ ‘Wando,’ and ‘Lincoln’ are popular choices for fall planting. These peas are grown primarily for their plump, sweet peas that need to be shelled before consumption.
Can I plant sweet peas in the fall?
In mild winter climates, where the ground does not freeze, sweet pea seeds should be fall-sown directly into the garden from September through November to grow strong root systems and then bloom in spring. No need to replant Lathyrus latifolius! Perennial sweet peas’ beautiful pink blooms will come back in spring year after year.Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) only live for a year, dying after setting seed. But don’t let this put you off as they are super easy to grow from seed.Perennial or everlasting peas lack the fragrance of the annual form, but share the same colourful flowers and return each year, dying back below ground in winter.
What is the best month to plant sweet peas?
However, October, November, February and March are best, avoiding mid-winter if you can. If you have space and time to nurture your Sweet Peas then sowing early produces strong, earlier-flowering plants but if you have left it until later then it is still worth giving it a go. Sweet Peas will start blooming approximately 4 -6 weeks after visible vining. Timing of bloom will depend on whether the plants have been pinched back. Pinching may slow growth somewhat, but it will produce bushy plants with more flowers.
Will sweet pea come back next year?
Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) only live for a year, dying after setting seed. But don’t let this put you off as they are super easy to grow from seed. Perennial species such as Lathyrus latifolius come back year after year, but mostly lack fragrance and there are fewer to choose from. Cut perennial Lathyrus back to ground level in autumn or, preferably, leave the cutting back until February so the dead stems provide cover for wildlife in winter. Simply pull out and compost annual sweet peas once flowering has finished at the end of summer.