The perennial pea germinates similarly to annual peas, with the exception that they are always sown in the spring. In seed trays or other small containers, sow whenever between February and March using a compost without peat. It will take roughly 10 days for seeds to germinate if kept in a warm environment of 18C.
When the plant is big enough to handle, pot it on, then take it outside to gradually harden off before planting.
when to plant sweet peas
When between October and April, plant sweet pea seeds. Aim for late October or late November or late February or early March for the best outcomes because midwinter temperatures and light conditions aren’t the optimum. In April or May, sweet peas can also be planted directly into the ground. During a moderate period between March and May, sow your sweet pea seeds and plants.
Can sweet pea seeds still be started?
Nothing is more pleasant for a gardener than planting sweet pea and other flower seeds in the winter. Getting out my sweet pea seed packets and seeing them germinate and sprout indoors is the most delightful thing to do when there is not much happening in the garden itself and I have been spending days indoors due to the cold, wet weather!
Therefore, if you’ve been considering that the only thing you can do for your garden is sit and observe it from the window, reconsider your position.
Early planting of sweet peas will repay you with delightfully scented and eye-catching blossoms. Sweet pea seeds must be started in late winter or early spring if you plant in a zone 7 or colder climate. Don’t hold off till the last frost! Generally speaking, you should start your seedlings inside 6 to 8 weeks before the final anticipated frost.
It might be too late to grow sweet peas and get decent results if you wait until after your final frost. In other regions of the nation, spring lasts only a few weeks before temperatures suddenly rise. Sweet peas require lower temperatures to grow well.
Do sweet pea seeds need to be soaked before planting?
To aid in seed germination, many individuals advise soaking seeds overnight before sowing. This is due to the hard outer shell of some types. Others, though, contend that soaking might make plants weaker.
However, you might try slightly shattering the seed’s outer shell right before sowing if you’ve previously had difficulties getting the seeds to germinate.
On the side opposite the seed’s black “eye” or scar, carefully nick the shell with a sharp knife or rub it with sandpaper.
How long does it take for everlasting sweet peas to sprout?
Typically, germination takes 7 to 21 days. When seedlings are big enough to handle, transplant them into 7.5cm (3in) pots. When there is no longer a chance of frost, harden off and put seeds 30 cm (12 in) apart. Plant in regular garden soil and full sun.
How are everlasting sweet peas multiplied?
Young sweet pea seedlings can be used as sources for cuttings. It is rather simple to take cuttings and get them to root and flourish if you just have a few plants of a variety and want more but are out of seed.
Young sweet pea seeds, a container of water, tidy, sharp scissors, and rooting hormone are all required. I apply liquid rooting hormone Dip n’ Grow. Without the hormone, I’ve tried rooted cuttings, but the results aren’t as good.
: Choose Your Sweet Pea Seedlings
About two months old and prepared for planting out are these sweet pea seedlings. Before I do, I’m going to cut a 5 inch piece off of each plant so that I may rapidly and readily grow new side shoots to replace the ones I cut off.
: Make Your Cuttings
Cut a 5-inch section of stem immediately above a pair of leaves with a clean, sharp pair of scissors. Dip the cutting for a brief period of time into the Dip n’ Grow liquid rooting hormone solution.
: Place Cuttings In Water
Your sweet pea cuttings should be placed on a warm windowsill that receives some indirect sunshine after being placed in a jar of fresh water. To keep an eye on them, I like to set them on the kitchen windowsill.
: Wait Awhile!
In around two weeks, roots will begin to form. Only 11 days passed between the photo’s roots developing. When roots appear in this manner, you can plant them in a quality potting mix. My rooted cuttings are then placed in an unheated greenhouse.
: New Growth
About six weeks later, the cuttings’ fresh growth is visible, and they are almost ready to be planted outside.
Final thoughts: I started the cuttings from “mother” plants that were begun in the fall (November). Cuttings were made at the end of January, and roots started to appear around the start of February. By the end of March, the cuttings had enough new growth to be planted.
Sweet peas—can I plant them in January?
The world is still a cold and dreary place even if we may have thrown open the doors to usher in the new year with a loud chorus of Auld Lang Syne. The countryside is still barren and the light is still dim and murky.
Despite this, the start of a new year brings with it a strong urge to plant and develop, and patience may be a challenging animal to tame.
But this year, after diving into the amazing world of flowers, I’ve discovered something that can just barely grate that itch, sweet peas.
I’ve discovered that I’ve already contracted the sweet pea bug since sowing my first batch of Lady Salisbury sweet peas in October.
By the time the temperature and light levels began to fall in December, the plants that were sowed in the fall had grown to a height of about 3 inches.
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I feel compelled to learn everything there is to know about anything new I take up. I read a lot about what would be the preferred flower in the gardening world over the winter.
Maybe we can encourage the next generation to appreciate these treasures in a similar manner that craft beer and sherry have experienced a comeback and are currently fashionable? (As I type, I’m caressing my hipster beard!)
An organization that supports these lovely blooms is called the National Sweet Pea Society. I’ve learned that its website is a great place to learn about events, learn about the history of the plant, and get advice on how to cultivate sweet peas.
When choosing the kinds of sweet peas you might like to cultivate on your plot, the website’s amazing collection of blooming sweet peas is a great resource.
However, Graham Rice’s The Sweet Pea Book was my favorite discovery. Over the holiday break, I read this book quickly after purchasing it. I enjoy reading it.
This is a thorough tutorial for someone who is completely new to sweet peas, yet the narrative is easy to follow and doesn’t make you feel like you are reading a textbook.
Even though I haven’t grown sweet peas for a season, I’m delighted about them. On the other hand, there’s something about this flower that makes me ecstatic to grow it on the allotment this year.
I’m especially drawn to the idea of bringing home fresh flowers that I can arrange in a vase as a lovely accoutrement to the homegrown vegetables we’ll be eating.
This month, I’m planting a second batch of sweet peas. More Blue Velvet and Lady Salisbury. By limiting my selection to only two varieties, I want to ease into producing sweet peas. A vase filled with these blooms will make a straightforward yet eye-catching presentation, in my opinion, due to their stunning color contrast.
Sweet peas are relatively simple to handle because of their large, rounded seeds. They remind me of the edible silver balls that are used to garnish cake tops, except that they are neither silver nor edible.
Annual sweet peas can be seeded in the spring. A January seeding allows the plants to form strong roots, show some early growth, and produce larger plants to set out after the frosts, just like an October sowing did.
Sowing seeds in the middle of January does feel terribly weird. But it’s a widespread practice, particularly in Britain. They have an advantage over those that were sowed in the spring because they were sown earlier, and strong, healthy plants will always prevail over fresh seedlings in the battle against those annoying slugs.
I’ve never had much luck with sweet peas, but I’m well aware of the controversy surrounding the pre-sowing method. Should the seed case be “chimped” to promote germination? Is it beneficial to soak or “chit” the seeds before planting them?
The reality is, according to a reliable source, you only need to poke the seed into the ground for it to sprout. To assure greater results, it could be worthwhile to spend a little more time and apply the aforementioned strategies.
I planted the sweet pea seeds in two 5 inch pots in October. I’m planting each sweet pea seed this time using toilet paper tubes because I’ve learned more.
First off, a 2007 piece in The Telegraph said that we Brits were setting the standard for toilet paper usage. The data showed that Britain’s toilet paper consumption, at 110 rolls per person, was 25 times more than that of Ukraine, which had the lowest usage in Europe.
There are a lot of empty cardboard tubes and bottom wiping involved. Recycling is encouraged. However, they make excellent DIY seed pots.
Second, if you start the seeds in a pot, you’ll need to separate each plant from the massive root ball that has grown by the time you’re ready to put the sweet peas outside. No matter how carefully you do it, some root damage will always result.
Of course, such root injury has very little impact. Only the purist in growth would notice, I’m sure. But perhaps when it comes to our blooming, we should strive to be as professional as we can? Thus, root trainers or modules receive the highest grades.
Root trainers are reusable and quite inexpensive to purchase. I would not have any issues with getting a few packs. However, as I’ve already mentioned, we are drowning in cardboard tubes as a result of how much toilet paper we use.
In terms of root protection, cardboard tubes offer the same advantage as commercial root trainers, but they are also biodegradable. As a result, you can plant the sweet peas outside, pot and all.
Shake the tubes as you fill them with seed compost, then firmly push the compost down. Create a hole in the compost, place the seed inside, and then cover with a thin layer of compost to neatly tuck them into bed. After giving them a good soak, place them in a small greenhouse.
As I previously did with the October-sown sweet peas, I’ll pinch out the January-sown plants when they reach a height of about 3 inches.
Doing this is not difficult in any way, as far as I am aware. The first time I did this, I was terrified as well! Simply pinch off the top of the sweet pea seedling above a leaf joint using your finger and thumb.
It’s nice to be outside planting something that will eventually bloom this year. I’ll be patiently looking for the first indications of tiny shoots breaking through. But just now, I’m returning inside to wrap my hands around a steaming mug of tea.
How are you doing? Do you plant sweet peas in January? Please share your planting plans with me as well as any advise or pointers you have. Leave a comment for me below.
Choosing sweet peas and perennial peas
The major consideration is whether or not aroma is crucial to you when deciding between perennial Lathyrus and sweet peas. Decide if you would then like an annual or perennial plant. There are several color choices available as well as climbing and bushier varieties.
Fragrance
Choose sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus), which are generally very fragrant, if you enjoy a pleasant garden and sweet-smelling flowers for indoor use.
Lord Anson’s blue pea (Lathyrus nervosus), a perennial Lathyus, is an exception to the rule since it does have a perfume.
How long the plant lasts
After setting seed, sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) only have a one-year lifespan. However, don’t let this deter you because they are quite simple to grow from seed. Lathyrus latifolius is an example of a perennial species that returns every year, however there are fewer options and they typically lack smell.
Colour
The annual sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) has a large variety of blossom colors, including bicolored varieties. However, the perennial varieties do come in some uncommon colors, like yellow and orange.
Habit
The majority of Lathyrus are climbing plants, therefore support them with canes, netting, or allow them to climb over a bank or through a bush. For ground cover and pots, clumping varieties like the spring-flowering Lathyrus vernus and dwarf bushy sweet pea varieties like “Snoopea” and “Bijou Mixed” are excellent choices.
Buying sweet peas and perennial peas
Although many garden centers also sell a few sweet pea seeds in packets, the largest assortment of sweet pea seeds may be acquired from internet seed suppliers. In the spring, several nurseries and garden centers sell pots of germinated sweet pea seedlings that can be divided into individual plants and raised in pots before being planted outside.
There are a few seed specialists who sell perennial Lathyrus seeds, like Lathyrus latifolius, but many gardeners opt to purchase the plants instead. The plant you’re looking for can be found using our Find a Plant tool.
When to plant sweet peas and perennial peas
- Annual sweet peas should be sown either in late January or early April and planted out in April.
- Sow perennial Lathyrus in the spring or the fall.
Where to plant sweet peas and perennial peas
Locate a sunny area where there is room for the plant to grow or to bush out (depending on its habit). Also acceptable is a little light shade, especially for Lathyrus grandiflorus.
How to plant sweet peas and perennial peas
- To avoid cold shock, indoor seedlings should be hardened off for 10–14 days before being transplanted outside.
- Ideally, four weeks before planting, enhance the soil by incorporating a soil conditioner like garden compost or manure.
- Sprinkle general-purpose fertilizer, as directed on the pack, into the area where you plan to plant it, such as Growmore, Vitax Q4, or blood, fish, and bones.
- Before planting, water your plants thoroughly to hydrate the roots.
- Remove pots from larger plants and ease seedlings out of modules or pots while being careful not to snap or crush the stems.
- Plants should be separated by 20–30 cm (8–1 ft).
- Place climbing plants near to their intended support (within 5-7.5cm or 2-3in), with two plants at the foot of each cane if they are climbing a wigwam.
- After planting, water once more to help the soil surrounding the roots settle.
Use garden twine or sweet pea support rings to secure young climbing plant shoots to canes, pea sticks, netting, trellis, or shrub shoots that they will be growing up. Tendrils in contact with supports will naturally start to cling on, but if any are straying or in danger of snapping, keep tying in new shoots.
In dry weather, check on plants in the ground every 3 to 4 days and on those in containers every day because they won’t flower as well if they become too dry. Each time you water, be sure to use enough water to completely moisten the roots.
Apply a high potassium liquid fertilizer, such as tomato feed, once or twice a week on light or infertile soils. This promotes flowering, particularly in annual sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus).
Pick or remove dead flower heads as frequently as you can once flowering starts. For annual sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus), which will stop flowering if seedpods are allowed to form, this is especially crucial.
Pinching out
When plants are around 7.5 to 10 cm tall, pinch out the shoot tips of new spring-sown sweet peas for gardening (3-4in). This promotes robust side branching. Autumn-planted seedlings frequently naturally branch.
Cordons
Pick the strongest shoot and keep pinching out all the tendrils and other sideshoots as they grow whether you want to enter your sweet peas in a local show or just want to maximize the size of blossoms for cutting. By using this technique, the plant directs its attention to the blossoms. The term “cordons” is used to describe these single-stemmed plants.
One stem per bamboo cane or tall stake needs to be tied to them on a regular basis. To keep the shoot in place as it grows, you can use twine looped in a figure-eight pattern around the cane and stem. Use sweet pea rings, which are wire loops that wrap around the stem and cane and are lightly squeezed until they hold, to make things simpler.
Cordons have the potential to grow much taller than the typical 2 m (6 1/2 ft) estimated height.
Cutting back
Cut perennial Lathyrus back to the ground in the fall, or better still, wait until February to do it so the dead stems can serve as wintertime cover for wildlife. When flowering is ended at the end of the summer, annual sweet peas can simply be pulled out and composted. This might happen a little bit sooner during hot, dry seasons.
Methods
Sweet peas can be immediately sown into the ground in April, or they can be planted in seed compost pots in the fall or spring. Although it takes more time, pot-sowing is typically more dependable than direct sowing. If you plant in the fall to enhance your chances of getting early blooms, keep seedlings in a coldframe or cold greenhouse over the winter to protect them from growing lanky. Keep the coldframe’s lid elevated unless a strong frost is anticipated. Sweet peas planted in the spring flower in 12–14 weeks.
Sweet pea seeds frequently have a tough outer covering that makes them more challenging to germinate. Place your seeds on a layer of damp vermiculite or kitchen tissue and store them in an airtight container in a warm area. As soon as the seeds swell or start to sprout, plant them. Some gardeners like to soak the seeds overnight instead, but if you don’t plant them right away thereafter, they might rot. With a sharp penknife, chip off a little portion of the hard seed coat to allow moisture to enter and promote germination on recalcitrant seeds that haven’t swelled.
- Individually sow seeds in seed compost-filled rootrainers or 9 cm (3 in) pots. As an alternative, sow five to seven seeds per 13 cm (5 in) pot, spacing them 2-3 cm (3/4-11/4 in) apart.
- Add 1 cm (1/2 in) of vermiculite or compost to the top of the seeds.
- Add water and maintain at around 15C. (59F)
- It is optional to cover the pots with clear polythene or glass to reduce the likelihood that they will dry out, but keep in mind to remove the covering after the seeds have germinated.
- Once they have grown to around 3.5 cm (11/2 in), carefully transplant single seedlings into 9cm (3 in) pots if you have seeded them several to a pot.
- Use your thumb and finger to pinch out (remove) the top of the shoot just above a healthy leaf when the seedlings are 7.5–10cm (3–4in) tall. This will promote side branches, which are always stronger than the core stem that has been removed.
- At least four weeks before planting, remove all weeds from the soil and add a soil enhancer, such as garden compost, manure, or composted bark.
- Only plant seeds as the soil begins to warm, typically around April.
- To create a wigwam, plant any temporary supports, like pea sticks or bamboo canes, in the ground.
- Take out a shallow drill of dirt 2.5 cm (1 in) deep for rows of sweet peas, and plant a seed every 5 to 7.5 cm in it (2-3in)
- Seedlings should eventually be spaced 20–30 cm (8–1 ft) apart to provide the plants enough room to flourish. The extra seedlings may seem like a waste to compost, but unless treated carefully, their roots are typically too damaged to recover.
- Push two seeds into the ground at the base of each cane to a depth of 2.5 cm (1 in) when sowing around a wigwam of canes.