How do I know if my sweet pea is annual or perennial?
The annual varieties tend to be highly fragrant and the vines tall and packed with flowers, and the perennials don’t tend to have a scent; if you want fragrant and abundant sweet pea blooms, taking the time to plant new annuals from seed each year is well worth the effort. Sowing sweet peas in autumn gives you stronger plants, earlier flowers and longer flowering than spring sown sweet peas. Autumn sowing preparation includes choosing the right soil based compost, using deep containers or cold frames and choosing seeds suitable for autumn sowing.Sweet Peas enjoy full sun in the northern half of the US. In the South, they can benefit from afternoon shade. They like cool roots and cool temperatures so they are planted as early as possible in the spring. A light frost will not harm newly planted seedlings.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.Sweet peas are heavy feeders, so amend soil well before planting with lots of rich compost or well-rotted manure. During the growing season, fertilize at least twice with a good soil drench of tablespoon each of fish emulsion and liquid kelp per gallon of water.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.
Are sweet pea flowers annuals or perennials?
While the sweet pea is considered an annual, there are a few perennial cultivars, but they lack fragrance. As does a related perennial species, the everlasting pea (Lathyrus latifolius). The sweet pea, Lathyrus odoratus, is a flowering plant in the genus Lathyrus in the family Fabaceae (legumes), native to Sicily, southern Italy and the Aegean Islands.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. Either sow seed in 9cm pots (3 to a pot), in root trainers or trays.Perennial Sweet Peas – Lathyrus latifolius, being a perennial these come back every year, some are bushy and some are climbers but most have little or no scent.Flowers from July to September. Hardy Perennial – Which is where the name ‘Everlasting Sweet Pea’ comes from. Kings seeds recommend sowing seeds into a good quality seed sowing compost and water only with tap water.
How do you care for perennial sweet peas in the winter?
After flowering, if you are growing perennial sweet peas you can either cut them back to ground level in autumn or leave them in place over winter to provide a habitat for wildlife. Then cut them back to ground level in February. It is very important to deadhead your sweet peas. Look out for seed pods developing and snip them off regularly. This prevents the plants forming seed, which would stop the plants producing flowers.As the flowers open keep cutting; this stimulates further flower production. Never leave seeds to develop on the plants. Remember that sweet peas are annuals. If seeds develop they tell the plant that its work is done and the plant starts to die back.Once your sweet peas start blooming, do not let the flowers go to seed. Cut or deadhead them regularly to promote the production of more flowers and keep your plants looking their best. Toward the end of the growing season, you can leave some seedpods on the plant if you want to collect the seeds to sow next year.When the sweet peas have grown too tall for their supporting canes, untie all of them and lay the stems carefully on the ground, taking care not to snap the brittle stems. Next, re-tie stems to a cane further along the row, so the tip of the plant reaches about 30cm (12in) up its new cane.The idea of pinching out sweet peas is to encourage more bushy growth that will, in turn, produce more flowers. The flowers will only grow from the single stem if you leave them to grow as they are, whereas pinching out the top growth will encourage multiple stems to grow, which means more beautiful blooms.
What is the lifespan of a sweet pea plant?
Sweet peas are an annual flower, meaning they only live for one growing season. They are hardy, fragrant and can tolerate cooler temperatures and light frosts. The main flowering season for sweet peas is June and July but they can start earlier or go on later, depending on when you sowed and planted them . Keep watering, feeding and deadheading to prolong their season.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.Perennial sweet peas, yes there are annual varieties, are hardy in zones 4 to 8 and need little help to make it through the winter in these areas. Leave healthy plants stand for winter to increase hardiness. Prune the plants back to the ground in late winter or early spring before growth begins.Sweet pea cuttings are pretty easy to take, and they’ll produce the same plant and same flowers in the same season. The key really is to make sure you get a leaf node (where you pinch the leaves off) buried in soil with each cutting, because that’s where the roots will form.
Which sweet peas are perennials?
Lathyrus sylvestris (perennial Sweet Pea) This perennial British native sweet pea is now rather rare. Known as the Wood Pea, it throws out enormous numbers of flesh pink flowers on strong stems, being even more vigorous and floriferous than Lathyrus latifolius. While the sweet pea is considered an annual, there are a few perennial cultivars, but they lack fragrance. As does a related perennial species, the everlasting pea (Lathyrus latifolius).Lathyrus odoratus, commonly known as Sweet Pea, is a fragrant annual plant with a wide range of colorful flowers, ideal for adding beauty and fragrance to gardens, borders, containers, and trellises.Lathyrus odoratus is an annual sweet pea plant, meaning it needs to be replanted each year because it doesn’t return on its own.
Do sweet peas come back every 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. Autumn-sown sweet peas should be kept in their cold frame or greenhouse to overwinter. While you don’t want to mollycoddle seedlings too much (cool temperatures will keep plants stocky and sturdy) they won’t appreciate being repeatedly frozen, so add extra protection in frosty weather.