Sweet peas are the best climber vegetables. They add fragrance to the garden with their ruffled flowers. The plants develop tendrils that allow them to climb on walls, fences, and trellis thus creating a magical feel. Sweet peas grow in most climates. Here is how to grow sweet peas.
Starting sweet pea seeds
- Buy sweet pea seeds
- Determining when to start your seedlings
- Soak and nick the seeds
- Planting the seeds in a seed substrate
- Keep the seeds moist and warm
Sweet peas first begin as seeds. You can plant them as seedlings indoor and later transplant them or start them outside. Sweet pea seedlings are readily available for purchase from any garden store, but you might not find all varieties, thus the need to check online stores. The major types of grown sweet peas variety are the old-fashioned sweet peas variety and the spencer variety.
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Sweet peas can grow in any region, although it’s essential to know when they are ready. The seedlings should be planted as earlier as possible to form strong roots that will survive summer. If you stay in temperate areas, you can plant the seeds directly to the ground as earlier as November. Water them properly during winter so that they can emerge in spring.
If you stay in cold winter areas, start the seeds indoors so that the seedlings are ready for planting as soon as the frost wears off.
Soaking the seeds in water overnight will help your seeds penetrate, thus making germination much easier. Alternatively, you can nail clip to the surface of each seed. Only plant the seeds that have swollen after the overnight soak.
Five weeks from the last frost, prepare peat containers or seed trays with seed starting mixture. Plant the seeds in different compartments and ensure they are one inch deep and three inches apart.
Water seed trays and ensure they are covered with a plastic wrap so that their temperature is regulated. You can keep the seeds in a sunny window or greenhouse and ensure the temperature does not fall below 21 degrees Celsius. Once they sprout, remove the cover but keep them moist and warm until you are ready for planting.
Planting sweet peas
- Choose a sunny spot in your garden
- Enrich the soil
- Plant the sweet peas in early spring
- Digging holes
- Water the sweet peas
Since sweet peas thrive well in sunny areas, select a place exposed to sunlight such as a fence or wall. The plant will also require partial shade during winter. Sweet peas are climbers; thus, you need a location where they will climb and flourish since they produce tendrils that hold on to trellis or fences.
The plant requires fertile and well-drained soils. You can prepare the ground by tilling it, adding organic manure or compost. Use a raised bed since this will help other plants you will grow in the garden.
The right time to plant your seedlings directly to your garden is during early spring. However, if you stay in warm areas, you can plant the seeds in January since they won’t freeze.
Dig holes about five inches deep and apart using a No products found.. Lightly pat fresh soil around the stems of the seedlings. For those planting seeds directly to the garden, dig holes one inch deep.
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After planting the sweet peas, ensure you water them. The plant will spring quickly as the warm weather approaches.
Best trellis for sweet peas
- Chicken wire A-frame
- Bamboo and Twine
- T-posts and hog panels
Using untreated cider, create a small frame with long legs. Staple the Garden Mile chicken wire into the frame, using hinges attach two frames at the top, thus allowing for flexibility. The trellises last for many years, and you can make as many trellises as possible. This will depend on the size of the garden. Install the trellises by standing them in the garden. The trellises will provide support for the peas to grow upwards.
Bamboo sticks are incredible in the garden since they create a handful of stakes and twines. Create two lines of poles one to two feet apart and tie the tops together. You can also put them in a circle and tie them at the top. Ensure the bamboos are dry since sweet peas find a difficult time to climb on smooth wet trees.
These trellises are easy to install and use, thus making them the most used trellises. Two posts are installed a few meters apart, and panels are attached using Silverline 795597 natural garden twines. Sweet peas will climb and their tendrils attached to twines for support.
Maintaining sweet peas
- Check the soil and make sure it is not dry and water the garden regularly during warm weather.
- Since the plant is quite prolific, you will need to add fertilizers at least once per month to keep them blooming. Use high potassium commercial fertilizer for high output.
- Cut the flowers regularly to promote new growth. Wait until the fragrance of the flowers and when they reach their peak before cutting them and ensure you remove faded blossoms.
- Harvest the seed pods and save them for the next planting season.
- Encourage for new growth of flowers by pinching shoots off once the peas are six inches long.
Sweet peas produce peas for different purposes. You can cook them, sell them or use them for planting. You need to plant them since they provide a sense of beauty.