How to Grow Sweet Pea Flower Plants
Annual, perennial, Lathyrus
Flowering Sweet Peas are fragrant, and have an old-fashioned charm! They
were brought to the New World from Europe. There are annual and perennial
varieties in a range of colors including blue, white, pink, cream, and purple
flowers. They can be grown in your flower garden, or scattered as a wildflower.
Sweet Peas plants are a hardy annual . They thrive in cool weather.
They can survive frosts, freezes, and a snow cover. That's how
their cousin the vegetable "Snow peas" got their name. Vining and non-vining
varieties exist, producing an early bloom in cool weather. Non-vining
varieties will grow 1-2 feet tall, while vining types can grow 5-7 feet or
more.
Did you know? There are over 1,000 varieties of Sweet Pea.
Propagation:
Sweet Peas are grown from seed. Directly plant Sweet Pea seeds into your
flower garden in the early spring.
Sow seeds 6 inches apart and 1 to 1/12 inches deep.
Once your plants have been established, they usually reseed themselves.
How to Grow Sweet Pea Plants:
Sweet Pea plants are very easy to grow. They prefer full sun and cool weather.
They will do well in a variety of soils, but prefer rich soil. Being an early,
cool weather plant, they do not mind cool or cold weather or wet soils.
Water them during dry periods, once or twice per week. Add a general purpose
fertilizer once or twice a season. They require little maintenance.
For vining types, provide something for them to climb and they will rapidly
ascend skyward.
Sweet Pea are also considered wildflowers. Once established, they will thrive
and spread easily. If in a flower garden, they can get out of hand easily
and overcrowd other flowers.
Tip: To keep the flowers blooming, pick spent blooms before the seed
begins to form.
Insect and Disease:
Sweet Peas are popular among a variety of insects, birds and butterflies.
The most common insect problems include aphids and root borers. Insecticides
and repellents are usually effective. Slugs can also be a problem.
More on Slug control.
In very wet and cold weather, mildew and fungus can invade your plants.
Use fungicides early, before disease gets a foothold.
More Information:
Buy Sweet Pea Flower Seeds Now
How
to Grow Sweet Pea Plants
Buy Flower, Vegetable and Herb Seeds Finest quality
Ferry Morse Seed, America's oldest seed company with their famous "guarantee
to grow".
Bulbs
and Perennials - Great deals on a a wide assortment of your favorite
bulbs and perennials.
Buy Guarden Raised Garden Bed Frames Perfect for people
who aren't into building their own raised beds. These raised beds are attractive,
long lasting and affordable. Guarden raised bed frames are the strongest
in the industry. A greenhouse system can be added to them, too. |
