Tips for Growing Sweet Peas

Growing Sweet Peas Successfully

The sweet pea is a beautiful and aromatic flower however, I have found that it can be hard to grow sweet peas without special attention given to the seed.

In the past, it took several attempts before I was successful in growing the sprouts into beautiful blooming flowers. I had first tried by sprouting the seeds indoors then, transplanting them outside when the plants reached 4-6 inches high however, the sprouts would never survive.

After doing some research, I discovered that sweet peas are quite delicate and suffer a great deal of shock through the transplanting process, and will most times die. The most successful way that I found to avoid losing your precious plants is to plant them in biodegradable pots then, when transplanting outside keep them in the biodegradable pot. This reduces the disturbance that the root may experience through transplanting. Since doing this, I have been successful in growing these beautiful flowers.

Sweet peas can be grown as annuals or perennials depending on which type of seeds you have. They come in a variety of colors with the annuals having a more fragrant scent than the perennials. Before being planted, the seed needs to be soaked in water for 24 hours to soften the outer shell which, will allow the seed to sprout. If preferred, instead of soaking the seeds, a small piece of the outer shell can be snipped away using a pair of nail clippers. It takes approximately 4 weeks for your seeds to sprout.

To keep your sweet peas producing more blooms, you should snip the flower at the base of the stem. Several snips can make a beautiful bouquet to brighten up any room and produce a fragrant aroma throughout. Other helpful tips are to use a well fertilized soil that is kept moist. Snipping off dead blooms can also be helpful.

Once the bloom on the sweet pea dies, pods which contain seeds will start to form, and grow. Once these pods turn brown and dry out, they will start to open. At that time, the pods can be picked. The seeds inside the pods can then be saved and used to start a new garden of sweet peas for the following year. It is important that the seeds are free from moisture before storing for the next years harvest. 

In following these simple rules for growing sweet peas, anyone can develope a green thumb for growing these lovely scented beauties.


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