Sweet Pea Plants

Lathyrus odoratus is an annual sweet pea plant, very fragrant, and it does not come back every year. Lathyrus latifolius is a perennial sweet pea plant, it is not fragrant, but it will come back every year.

When Should sweet pea be planted?

When to Plant Sweet Peas. In most locations where frosts occur regularly (Zone 7 and colder), sweet peas should be planted in very late winter or early spring as soon as the soil is dry enough to work. (Do not wait until last frost to sow! It will likely be too late.)

Do sweet peas need a trellis?

Because Sweet Peas are vining, they need support to grow up and flower. Many types of structures can work such as a trellis, supports with mesh or twine, or fences. They need a structure that is well anchored in the ground to support the weight of the vines.

Are sweet peas easy to grow?

Sweet peas are easy to grow. The most important thing: get them in the ground early to take advantage of cool spring weather. All varieties make excellent cut flowers. Sweet pea seeds are about 1/8″, so they're especially easy to plant.

Do hummingbirds like sweet peas?

Ornamental sweet peas are not edible like their closely-named vegetable counterparts (Pisum sativum), but they do attract hummingbirds and other pollinators and are deer resistant.

Should sweet peas be cut back in the fall?

Prune the plants back to the ground in late winter or early spring before growth begins. Prune sweet pea plants with diseased foliage back to the ground in fall. Discard, don't compost, the leaves and stems of diseased plants to reduce the risk of future disease problems.

Do sweet peas need sun or shade?

Plant sweet peas in an open, sunny position in a well-drained but moisture-retentive soil. Sweet peas are well suited to growing in pots – make sure you use a good, peat-free compost with a slow-release fertiliser mixed in.

Do sweet peas need a lot of water?

Throughout the season you'll need to keep your flowers well watered, as dry soil makes them go to seed quicker. Once your sweet pea plants are in full flower make sure that you dead-head them and remove seed pods as soon as possible to encourage more blooms to be produced.

Do sweet peas reseed themselves?

Will sweet peas self-seed? Yes, in warmer climates. If you leave your sweet pea plants to turn to seed in fall, and allow those seed pods to pop open and disperse the seeds, it is absolutely possible for some to self-seed next year.

Do sweet peas grow more if you cut them?

As the flowers open keep cutting; this stimulates further flower production. Never leave seeds to develop on the plants.

Do sweet peas need deadheading?

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.

How do you keep sweet peas blooming?

Help your sweet peas flower for longer. They hate drying out so keep them well watered and feed them

Should I remove seed pods from sweet peas?

Picking the flowers and removing the seed pods is essential when growing sweet peas. Equally important when growing sweet peas, is to remove the tendrils which form on the plant, illustrated in the second image. The tendrils look as if they will support the plant, and so there maybe a reluctance to cut them off.

Can you plant sweet peas straight into the ground?

You can sow directly in the ground from late spring, but the results may be more variable. If in doubt, follow the packet instructions on your specific variety and always keep sweet peas away from frost.

How many sweet peas should I plant?

It is best to plant them in a sunny, well drained site. Digging in some organic material, such as Farmyard Manure, will help them to retain water. They need some support to grow up such as a tepee structure of canes. Plant two sweet peas at the base of every upright of the tepee structure.

How long do sweet pea plants last?

Sweet peas are a summer flowering annual. This means that they germinate, grow, flower, set seed and die all in one year and have to be re-grown each year.

What is hummingbirds favorite plant?

Brightly-colored flowers that are tubular tend to produce the most nectar, and are particularly attractive to hummingbirds. These include perennials such as bee balms, columbines, daylilies, and lupines; biennials such as foxgloves and hollyhocks; and many annuals, including cleomes, impatiens, and petunias.

When should you not feed hummingbirds?

When no birds have been sighted after at least seven to 10 days, it is safe to remove the feeders and store them until next spring. Many birders keep a personal birding journal, notebook, or calendar to mark when "their" hummingbirds arrive and depart each year.

What happens if you don't pinch out sweet peas?

If left to its own devices that shoot will grow taller and taller. By pinching out the top growth, you will make the seeding through out side shoots so that there is more than one single shoot. This means later in the year, more flowering stems per plant.

Can I plant sweet pea seeds in September?

You can sow anytime from early October to mid November when the days allow for a long gentle germination. Push them gently into the damp but not wet compost until they are covered by about 2cms of soil.