Growing Sweet Peas

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Sweet Pea Flowers

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Age-Old Wisdom meets Modern Tools

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With their seductive fragrance, sweet peas make great flowers for gardens and bouquets. These pea-like flowering annuals grow in many lovely colors and are suitable for a border, a woodland garden, and a trellis or arch. See how to plant and grow sweet peas. Early sowing is one of the secrets to sweet peas!

Cultivated sweet peas go back at least 300 years. In their native Sicily, these ornamental peas have weak stems and an intense orange-jasmine-honey scent. Modern hybrids are stronger-stalked and have larger blooms.

Growing sweet peas is akin to making a pie crust. Some people have the knack, others don’t. Sweet peas are quite hardy, growing from large, easy-to-handle, pea-like seeds. Still, they’re a bit tricky because they are slow to germinate. It’s worth experimenting with different seeds each year.

Planting

How to Plant Sweet Peas

Early sowing is one of the secrets of sweet peas. In Zone 7 or colder, plant them in very late winter or early spring as soon as the soil is dry enough to work. (Do not wait to sow until last frost.)
In the coldest parts of the country, get a jump on the season by starting sweet peas indoors in six-packs or Jiffy pots. Harden seedlings off for at least a week, and then set them out into the garden as soon as the soil can be worked. If you garden in mild winter climates (Zones 8, 9, or 10), plant sweet peas in the late fall so they can develop and bloom in late winter and early spring.
Sweet peas are happiest with their heads in the sun and their roots deep in cool, moist soil. When possible, plant low-growing annuals in front of them to shade their roots.
Choose a well-drained site. Alkaline soil is best; sprinkle some powdered lime on the surface if your soil tends to be acidic.
Prepare a rich soil by mixing in generous amounts of compost and well-rotted manure to a depth of 2 feet. (Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.)
Prior to planting, you’re going to want to dig a nice deep trench of about 4 inches in depth.
After you dig the trench, make holes with a pencil, drop in the seeds, and press down on the soil to firm it and shut out any light.
Before planting, soak the seeds in water for 24 hours. Then nick the seeds with a nail file before planting to speed sprouting. You do not need to soak seeds in a temperate climate.

Check out our video on planting and growing sweet peas:

Care

How to Grow Sweet Peas

Once planted, germination can take 7 to 15 days, depending on the soil temperature.
As seedlings emerge and grow, gradually fill in the trench. Hoe more soil up to them.
Keep soil moist. Summer rain may be ample. If you put your finger into the soil bed to its first joint and the soil is dry: water them at the soil level and do so in the morning; sweet peas can suffer from bud drop.
If you use plenty of aged manure and compost when planting, you do not need to fertilize. If you do want to add nourishment, use high potash feeds, as nitrogen feeds encourage too much top growth.
Sweet peas prefer cool days and nights and will start to fade when temperatures go above 65°F.
Except for the bush types, sweet peas are real climbers. Give them at least 6 feet of good support. Some varieties may climb to 9 or 10 feet. If you don’t have a fence or trellis, provide brush or chicken wire or bushy, stubbly twigs that they can cling to.
When plants become established, mulch well to keep the soil cool and moist. If you mulch, you may not need to water your sweet peas unless the soil gets dry.
To encourage bushy growth, pinch off the tops when plants are 6 inches tall—not before or you’ll encourage premature side-shoot development.
Pick the flowers for bouquets often and the plant will put energy into more blooms instead of going to seed. Harvest the stems when the lowest blossom is just beginning to open.

Pests/Diseases

Slugs and snails may attack young growth.
Pythium root rot, powdery mildew, rust, gray mold, and various leaf spots are common.

Recommended Varieties

‘April in Paris’ is a fragrant modern variety with large creamy-yellow blossoms and lilac shading.
The deliciously scented ‘America’ is an heirloom, dating to 1896. Its petals unfurl to show stunning wavy red and white stripes.
Breeders now offer varieties with old-fashioned perfume scents, as well as heat resistance. Look for heirlooms like the ‘Old Spice’ collection from Sicily. This strain blooms in shades of white, cream, pink, lavender, and purple.

Wit & Wisdom

The sweet pea is an essential member of a late-Victorian garden. Victorians loved sweet peas for their color diversity and fragrance.
Gather the flowers in the morning when the dew is still on them. This is when their scent is the sweetest.
Sweet peas are one of the April birth flowers.

“The odor of the sweet pea is so offensive to flies that it will drive them out of a sick-room, though not in the slightest degree disagreeable to the patient.”
–A tip from The 1899 Old Farmer’s Almanac

Sweet Pea
(Delicate Pleasures)
“Here are sweet peas, on tip-toe for a flight:
With wings of gentle flush o’er delicate white,
And taper fingers catching at all things,
To bind them all about with tiny rings.”
–John Keats (1795–1821)

Reader Comments

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Planted my peas only to have

Planted my peas only to have found what I think are baby millipedes in the soil all over my p-patch. Dug up peas because they didn't sprout and found them covered with these millipedes. Ew. Suggestions on how to regain control over my soil?

Millepedes are drawn to wet

Millepedes are drawn to wet moist soil and usually not harmful. They are beneficial since they convert organic matter into plant food. If you have an investation of them we suggest that you plant the peas in a different drier spot.

I have been growing SweetPeas

I have been growing SweetPeas since (1950).
I suggest that the ground be dug very deep (several feet) and replaced with good soil (after adding some fertilizer).
Prune to inhibit outgrowths. This will ensure fine very large flowers.

Hi, Stanley, Thanks for your

Hi, Stanley, Thanks for your comment.
It sounds like you have found a solution for rotating: instead of changing the location, you change the soil! Always good to have options available. Thanks for yours!

I live in uk London with wife

I live in uk London with wife , daughter and son.

would like to know which month of the year to sow peas.

Hi, I started my sweet peas

Hi, I started my sweet peas indoors, as I'm in Zone 7 (I believe...BC Canada) and they've sprouted and are growing! but they have no leaves. Is this normal? Is there something wrong with my flowers if the stem keeps growing, but hasn't grown any leaves? Thanks for your help and insight!!

The leaves will come. We

The leaves will come. We recommend to plant peas directly in the ground. Pea seedlings are sometimes hard to transplant.

It is April 2nd and I'm in

It is April 2nd and I'm in Houston,Tx. My sweet neighbor just gave me 2 different kinds of sweet pea seeds which she was already soaking...is it to late to plant? After reading your posted advice about their habits I fear it is already to warm here...what do you think? By the time they bloom,if I'm lucky,it will be mid June and very hot. Since they have already been through the soaking process I don't know if the seeds can be dried out again and saved till next year,if so what month should I plant them next year? Thank you for your help..I would love to be successful in this planting.

In Texas, sweet peas are

In Texas, sweet peas are usually planted in the fall for spring bloom. If planted in spring, it should be very early. However, since the seeds have already been soaked, it would probably be best to go ahead and plant them, although they may not be happy when it gets warmer. The best you can probably do is to set them out in an area that gets shade in the afternoon. Place in well-drained soil and water regularly. During hot spells, provide some filtered shade all day. Remove any spent blossoms to encourage the plant to continue blooming.

Thank you for your prompt

Thank you for your prompt reply. This is very encouraging and I am excited by the possibility of success with this lovely flower,I will plant them right away.

My leaves on the sweet pea

My leaves on the sweet pea are yellowing.what do I do.

Yellowing leaves on sweet

Yellowing leaves on sweet peas is often related to overwatering. Water in the morning at the base of the plant, keeping the foliage dry. Ensure your soil drains well. You can add compost to improve drainage. Also, do not use fertilizer.

what time can you plant sweet

what time can you plant sweet peas?

We mention timing above. In

We mention timing above. In milder areas, plant in fall. In colder areas, sow in late March or April.

I know that sweetpeas grow

I know that sweetpeas grow tall but do they need suport? This is my first time planting sweetpeas?
Thanks

Please see the text above for

Please see the text above for information about sweet pea support as well as germination.

it has been 10 days and my

it has been 10 days and my Sweet pea seeds have not sprouted what should I do?
thanks

how often should i water the

how often should i water the sweat-peas

Just keep the soil evenly

Just keep the soil evenly moist. If you put your finger into the soil bed to its first joint and the soil is dry: water them.

Other than pine needles what

Other than pine needles what is good for safely keeping slugs and snails off the plants?

You really want to keep mulch

You really want to keep mulch and any debris away from your plants. Make sure the garden soil that you prepare is well cultivated, bringing up any clods. Protect seedlings with soda bottles (with the bottoms cut out). You can create barriers, however, with rings of cedar, oak bark chips or gravel chips. Pine needles are fine. We like to use egg shells. Anything rough such as sandpaper or builders' sand can work, too. You can use wood ashes, though don't let the ashes touch the plant.

fine bark mulch is the best

fine bark mulch is the best one if you have slug or snail problems.

Natural or garden grade

Natural or garden grade diatomaceous earth (DE) is leathal to slugs and other ground dwelling pests. The DE is like shards of glass to them. It also lasts longer than coffee grounds, although, coffee grounds deter cats as well.

We have a major cat problem.

We have a major cat problem. They us my garden and flower beds as a litter box how do I stop it

Coffee grounds are safe and

Coffee grounds are safe and effecting to keep slugs off your plants. Straight from the can or used grounds sprinkled in a wide circle right up to the plant. I live in a very wet area and it works. If you get a lot of rain you may need to sprinkle several times during the growing season as the grounds will eventually wash away.

we have centipedes eating our

we have centipedes eating our pea plants. any suggestions on ridding them from our plants and garden?

Pick them off by hand.

Pick them off by hand. Attract birds to your garden. And spray with Neem Oil!

Can I plant the seed pods

Can I plant the seed pods from wild sweet peas in my yard for next Spring? If so, when and how should I plants? Thank you!

Sweet pea pods burst open

Sweet pea pods burst open when dry, throwing their seed out so you want to collect them early. Allow to dry in a bag and store in a dry, cool place so the seeds don't rot.

This is the second year with

This is the second year with my sweet peas,,very pretty..now producing pods and I expect seeds will fall to the ground for next year..do I cut the vines - I did not do this last year but they are 6 feet now. Thanks