I adore annual sweet peas and believe that they are the most alluring and unforgettable garden flowers because of their beautiful scent, ruffled, winged blossoms, and treasure trove of radiant hues. These fluted beauties are excellent for cutting, and a tiny bouquet of them will fill a room with a mouthwatering aroma that makes me think of orange blossoms and honey. Sweet peas’ delicate, alluring scent is one of nature’s best-kept secrets; it has never been artificially imitated and is never overbearing or cloying.
There are now a large number of options available in a wide range of colors, from the most delicate sweet pastels to rich, vivid deep hues, including stripes and bicolors. You have a choice of classic, tall, quickly-growing vining sweet peas, non-climbing, dwarf kinds for beds and borders, and variants that cascade 8 to 10 inches in containers. All will beautify and fill the garden with a divine aroma in the spring and summer.
Sweet pea horticulture has a lengthy and fascinating history. On an island off the coast of Sicily in 1699, Father Cupani, a botanizing monk, was the first to gather sweet peas in the wild. Eckford, an Englishman, started hybridizing and selecting sweet peas in the 19th century, bringing in larger varieties in a wider spectrum of hues. These “grandifloras,” which are now referred to as “old-fashioned” or “heirloom,” were highly praised as cut flowers.
In this time, cultivars that were more suited to American garden conditions were created by American seed producers who were growing sweet pea seeds for export to the English market and for American seed catalogs. The coastal region near Lompoc, California, which is chilly, moderate, and windy, is perfect for growing sweet peas because the climate prevents the usual bee visitors from visiting the blooms, preventing cross-pollination and allowing for the preservation of exceptionally pure seed strains. Today, that region, together with England, New Zealand, and Tasmania, continue to supply a large portion of the world’s sweet pea seed.
You will find growing sweet peas to be quite gratifying if you follow the right guidelines and timing for planting. Sadly, sweet peas have a reputation for being challenging to produce, especially in the Midwest and Southeast. However, after speaking with successful sweet pea gardeners around the nation for many years, I am confident that sweet peas can thrive everywhere in the nation. Their beauty and smell are definitely worth the effort even in the rare places where they are more difficult to grow. Knowing when to plant the seeds and how to take care of sweet peas effectively are crucial.
When To Plant Sweet Pea Seeds
Sweet peas can be planted in the fall and again in the spring in regions with warm winters that experience prolonged rainy winters and cold summers, such as the Pacific Northwest. Sue, a gardener from Seattle and the creator of our website, plants seeds in April or May for “armfuls of blossoms” through September.
Plant seeds as soon as the ground is workable in rich, well-drained soil in locations with temperate winters, such as the mid-Atlantic states, which experience humid summers and early, unexpected summer heat. Don’t wait until you plant other annual flowers like sunflowers or cosmos or until the date of your last frost (sweet peas may withstand minor frosts). Your sweet peas won’t be developed enough to withstand the hot temperatures of early summer. If it doesn’t rain, make sure to water your sweet pea plants because they require constant moisture.
Nancy Hammer, a market gardener in Virginia, starts seeds indoors in jumbo packs or 4 inch pots in late March so that they can be planted outdoors as soon as they have two or three pairs of leaves. This allows her to get a head start on the season and prepare for the unpredictability of spring weather. In early to mid April, she also plants seeds straight in the ground. In this manner, she will be ready with healthy seedlings regardless of whether it is chilly and rainy well into spring or if sudden hot weather arrives.
Both Susan Keating in Maine and Jay Leshinsky in Vermont wait until the spring soil can be easily handled before planting, often in late April through mid May, in locations with extremely harsh winters like New England where the earth freezes hard and heaves. Additionally, they get a head start by starting seeds indoors a month to six weeks in advance and planting them outside as soon as the weather allows through May. In either case, keep in mind that sweet peas are unaffected by late, mild frosts. Sweet peas planted in the ground in northern regions in April and May will blossom fully in late summer and continue to do so virtually until the first frost. If the summers are particularly hot, choose a location where the vines will receive some afternoon shade and water if it doesn’t rain.
In Seattle, when may I grow peas?
One of the first veggies I grow in the spring is always peas. I bundle up and walk out to the garden as soon as there is a sunny day in late February or early March to plant snap and shelling peas along trellises in my raised beds.
Growing peas is simple and rewarding. The flavor contrast between sweet, crisp, home-grown peas and the soggy, bland frozen or canned peas purchased at the grocery store is, in all honesty, what is most amazing. Do they truly belong to the same vegetable? I’m not persuaded. I firmly believe in eating peas fresh, and I consume the majority of my harvest straight from the vine.
Peas are a different matter; you can “make friends with salad” even if you can’t. My grandmother claimed that whenever she planted peas along the backyard fence, her normally private and busy neighbors would unexpectedly stop by with time to chat while casually plucking and eating peas. So planting peas is the way to go if you want to know the buzz in the neighborhood. Here is a guide on growing them.
Types:
Snow peas are excellent in stir-fry meals because they have flat, edible pods with barely developed peas.
Pea shelling—the name pretty much tells it all. Harvest the luscious, plump peas inside mature pods by cracking them open.
Soil:
Before planting, add 1 to 2 inches of high-quality compost to your soil by digging it in at least 6 inches deep. You might also want to amend the soil with bone meal or vegetable fertilizer.
When:
In the Pacific Northwest, you should plant whenever the soil temperature is at least 40 degrees between mid-February and early April. If you plant after mid-March, pay attention to enation-resistant* cultivars.
How:
Follow the seed-package instructions when planting. Usually 1″-1 1/2″ deep and spaced between 1″ and 3″. Optional: To promote healthy roots and larger harvests, sprinkle seeds with an inoculant, which is a powdered helpful bacterium. If you decide to plant seedlings, or young plants, don’t worry about separating the separate plants; just gently loosen the roots. Peas prefer to grow in large clusters.
Care:
After sowing, water thoroughly and gently, and maintain the soil moist while seeds are germinating. then offer consistent, deep watering. For climbing pea varieties, always give support (a trellis, fence, etc.) or try the dwarf, bush varieties that don’t require any additional support. Plant thinning is not necessary for peas.
Harvest:
Regularly picking peas will ensure continued production all the way from early to midsummer! You can use your snap peas as shelling peas and throw away the pods if they have gotten too big and rough.
Varieties:
I frequently plant seeds and plant seedlings because I enjoy trying various varieties. The lovely two-toned pink and burgundy blossoms of the “Magnolia Blossom Snap Pea” seeds I sampled from Rene’s Garden Seeds last year won me over. The peas were also delicious and crisp.
This year, I’m replanting two of my old standbys: seeds for “Cascadia Snap Pea” from Botanical Interests and “French Petits Pois Shelling Peas” grown for us by Langley Fine Gardens on Vashon Island.
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.
In the Pacific Northwest, how do sweet peas grow?
Sweet peas are one of the most enduring garden smells! Since the 17th century, they have been grown, and many of us have childhood memories of seeing them in bouquets or in the gardens of our grandmothers. They are a need in every cutting garden, and you can also grow them in pots and in vegetable gardens to draw pollinators and fill the air with fragrance while you are out in the yard. Additionally, these climbers enjoy our normally rainy spring and cooler summers!
The Basics
Light. Select a sunny location and offer the vines supports that are at least 6-7 height for them to climb. Soil. Before transplanting, give garden beds a thorough turning over and amendment with compost or aged manure. Sweet peas prefer neutral to alkaline soil, therefore for the majority of us, it means amending the soil with lime (similar to what you do for lawns). Test. Consider having the pH of your soil analyzed by a reputable lab if you are unsure about its value. Residents of Washington state can get free tests from the King Conservation District. Water. Sweet peas enjoy regular wetness! The biggest flowers and longest stems are produced as a result, and it also helps prevent powdery mildew. Fertilizer. Sweet peas consume a lot of food! Espoma Organic Flower-tone fertilizer, which comes in granular slow-release form and may be added at planting time, is advised by Molbak’s. Give plants a boost later in the summer by fertilizing them with Dr. Earth Flower Girl liquid fertilizer every two weeks.
Sowing
Seeds. In the Pacific Northwest, depending on the weather, you can either direct sow (plant seeds in the ground) or start them indoors from mid-February to late March. For direct sowing and when transferring outside, adhere to the spacing and depth recommendations on the seed packet. beginning inside. Good potting soil should be poured into pots 6 diameters. Before sowing, soak seeds in water for 24 hours. Five seeds should be placed in each pot once the first seed has been soaked. Water well, then provide only a small amount of water till germination. Transplant. On a sunny windowsill or in an unheated greenhouse, allow seeds to germinate. Transplant seedlings into the garden when they are about 5 tall (usually in early April). Remember: Molbak’s provides a variety of sweet pea starts for immediate satisfaction if you forget to start your seeds! To verify stock, call 425.483.5000.
Pro Advice:
Cut repeatedly. preferably early in the day or late at night when it is cooler. Prevent the development of seed pods The blooming season will last longer the more you trim.
Pinch out the center tip of plants when they are around 6 tall to promote side branching, which leads to more flowers.
Remember to water the plants at the base regularly and thoroughly to prevent powdery mildew. Sweet peas dislike getting too dry.
Types of Sweet Peas
‘Old Fashioned’ long-stemmed climbing vines with intensely scented flowers. The traditional sweet pea has lengthy blooms and can withstand heat.
Flowering in spring. 4-5 blooms are on the stems. Depending on the type, fragrance can range from subtle to strong. (Mammoth series, Royals, and Cuthbertsons).
Flowers in the summer. includes the Galaxy, Spencer, and Royal Family varieties, all of which, when kept trimmed, produce a lot of fruit. The biggest, most magnificent flowers and the longest stalks are seen on summer bloomers (up to 18). The variety of fragrance varies. unable to tolerate extreme heat.
Semi-dwarfs and dwarfs. Many species can reach heights of 24. There are two varieties: “Snoopy” and “Bijou.” These non-tendril kinds can benefit from a few twigs placed next to seedlings to provide a scrambling framework even if they don’t require a climbing support. Hanging baskets look beautiful with dwarf variations.
Sweet peas can withstand how much cold?
According to Gardeners’ World (opens in new tab), sweet peas should be treated like any other non-hardy annual: “Plant your sweet peas outside starting in late May, after all danger of frost has passed. Put them outside throughout the day and bring them inside at night to harden them off before planting.
The most recent edition of Sarah Raven’s podcast (opens in new tab) claims, however, that “Sweet peas are hardy and can go in the garden from the middle of March.”
Confused? So were we up till we learned the RHS’s excellent sweetpea-growing tips (opens in new tab) (watch in the video above). Sweet peas are in fact “extremely tough,” says Propagation Leader Sam Gallivan, and they can withstand frosts “with no issue at all.” They do struggle with extended cold and rainy times, though. Your young sweet pea plants could perish if you reside in a region where early spring can bring both low temperatures just above freezing and a lot of rain.
Because of this, you have two options: either hold off and plant them outside in April when the weather will be warmer, even if it rains, or keep them in a cold frame until the chilly showers stop. However, sweet peas are typically categorized as half-hardy annuals and can withstand dry frost up to -4C. (25F). You will need to cover them with horticultural fleece in the event that temps fall below that.
In the Pacific Northwest, when may I grow peas?
This is one vegetable every home garden needs because shelling peas and edible pod peas cannot be purchased in their freshly gathered form. The moment after they are picked is when peas in the pod are at their sweetest. For our advice on growing peas from seed, keep reading below.
Timing Peas favor chilly temperatures. Plant as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. If you live in a location where aphids spread the enation virus, grow types that are identified as being enation resistant on the west coast after April 1. Re-sow throughout the summer for a harvest in the fall. A fall crop’s ability to grow will be influenced by the weather. 10–20°C is the ideal soil temperature (50-70F). In 7 to 14 days, seeds ought to grow.
Starting For moist soils, it is not recommended to soak seeds. (1) Plant seeds 2 cm deep. Seed should be sown 5 cm (2) deep after April 15. In the row, space the seeds 2-7cm (1-3) apart. Never thin. Try to dig up some of the seeds and look for rot or insect damage if they don’t sprout. Giving untreated pea seedlings a head start while preventing rot is difficult.
Growing Use finished compost added to well-drained soil. For every 3 meters (10 rows), add 2 cups of rock phosphate or bonemeal. For assistance as they climb, grow the majority of kinds along a fence or trellis. Although dwarf types do not require a trellis, they could benefit from the support of a few branches buried in the row.
Harvest Select the desired stage of the pods. Theoretically, snow peas, tender snap peas, and shelling peas can all be harvested before the seeds fully develop. The majority of cultivars have a desired picking maturity. To extend the harvest season, make several sowings or plant several types.
Blanching Peas: A Guide All varieties of peas freeze very well for usage in the fall and winter. Peas must be quickly immersed in boiling water before freezing in order to eliminate the natural enzymes that would otherwise deplete the peas’ nutrients and cause them to degrade over time. We advise dipping in a colander or strainer while a large kettle of water is at a roaring boil. Timing is crucial. For snap and snow peas, immerse the entire pod for two minutes in boiling water, and then remove it to a bowl of ice water. It takes the perfect 90 seconds to shell peas. Apply a timer. Transfer the peas to a bowl of ice water once 90 seconds have passed. After carefully drying all peas (and pods) on kitchen towels, they should be placed in zip-top or vacuum bags with as little air as possible within each bag before being stored.
Pests & Diseases You can have pea root rot caused by a soil fungus if plants immediately after blossoming start to turn yellow and wither from the bottom up. Early in the spring, when the soil is extremely damp, it infects the plant. Avoid it by waiting until the soil is dry to plant and by planting with completed compost. Without reusing an area for three to four years, rotate peas into different locations each year. The green peach aphid spreads the Coastal viral disease known as pea enation disease. It stops flowering and results in warty, distorted pods.
The pea moth is an erratic and typically undetectable pest. The immature seed pod is where the little brown moth deposits its eggs while the blossoms are just beginning to open. You can still consume the remaining peas in the pod despite the caterpillar’s damage. The larva, which feeds inside the seedpod and spends the winter underground, is a small caterpillar with a black head. In Canada, there is one generation per year. In British Columbia’s lower Fraser Valley, where peas are grown, the discharge of two parasites has given a biological control that is only partially effective. Generally speaking, processing and fresh-market pea crops shouldn’t be planted where dry (seed) pea or seed vetch crops are being cultivated. After harvest, all remaining vines and pods must be killed by deep cultivating, feeding, or ensiling.