These climbing plants are most often seen trained up trellises or fences or spilling over the sides of pots.
Despite having “pea” in their name, they are not edible and are toxic to humansand pets.
Sweet peas lend a cottage feel to gardens.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
Fast-growing sweet peas are an instant nostalgic reminder of the beautiful, rambunctious old-fashioned gardens.
These vintage varieties were selected for their vibrant colors and intense fragrance.
They are often grown on bamboo tripods but typically along a trellis or fence for support.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
Sow three seeds together about a foot between groups of seeds.
Plant sweet pea seeds about 1 inch down in the soil.
Work compost into the soil about six weeks before planting the seeds for better blooms.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
Compost will also improve poor soil.
Sweet peas prefer rich but well-drained soil.
A slightly alkalinesoil pH(about 7.5) is ideal.
Jacky Parker Photography / Getty Images
Water
Sweet peas need weekly watering to moisten the soil during the growing season.
Check the soil by placing your finger an inch into the soil.
Sweet pea seedlings can tolerate a light frost, but the plants dislike sweltering temperatures.
Plant early to enjoy the blooms before they wither in the heat.
Fertilizer
During the growing season, apply fertilizer for sweet peas monthly.
Choose a fertilizer higher in potassium or phosphorus, or consider a tomato fertilizer.
Types of Sweet Peas
Another plantsweet pea shrub(Polygalaspp.)
is unrelated to the sweet pea plant (Lathyrus odoratus) but gets its name from its similar-looking flowers.
Deadhead the spent flowers to encourage continued blooming.
The cuttings will catch up to soil-grown plants if taken in the early spring.
How to Grow Sweet Pea From Seed
Sweet peas are usuallydirect sown.
In the South, you may have better luck seeding sweet peas in the fall to grow into winter.
Sweet pea vines have tendrils and will attach to almost any jot down of support with meshing or strings.
Potting and Repotting Sweet Pea
Sweet peas can also be potted into planters and placed indoors.
You must remove the nursery plant from its container and then brush off the excess soil from its roots.
Feel free to tease the roots if they are clumped together.
When placing the soil into the planter, press down the soil to remove air bubbles for maximum growth.
Slugs and snails can also eat new plants.
Steer clear of fertilizers high in nitrogen that focus more on leaf production than flowers.
Bloom Months
Sweet pea flowering time depends on your climate.
These plants prefer cooler temperatures and will start to fade in high heat.
Warmer regions can expect flowers in winter and spring.
Sweet pea plants are light-sensitive.
They come in two typesshort-day (fall/winter) or long-day (spring/summer).
This day descriptor tells gardeners when the plants bloom.
Short-day plants flower during months with shorter days, such as fall and winter.
Hot temperatures will cause the plants to decline.
What Do Sweet Pea Flowers Look and Smell Like?
Sweet pea flowers resemble fringed butterflies, while their sturdy stems appear folded.
Their fragrance is sweet, like a blend of honey and orange blossoms.
Once the hot weather sets in, the plant will naturally die back.
The production of pea pods often triggers the plants to stop flowering entirely.
Use sterilized pruners to snip them off or hand-pinch them off.
Common Problems With Sweet Pea
Sweet peas grow easily with suitable environmental factors.
However, certain problems can arise if growing conditions are off.
Bud Drop
High temperatures are the No.
1 reason for plant decline.
However, if you notice buds dropping, check the soil; it should be moist but not soggy.
Also, ensure the plant has at least six to eight hours of full sun.
Do not give more fertilizer to correct the problem; sometimes, too much fertilizeristhe problem.
Yellowing Leaves
When a plant is overwatered, it’s common for leaves to start turning yellow.
Reduce watering or check the soil with your finger to ensure the soil is not waterlogged.
Also, giving too much fertilizer can burn the roots, resulting in yellowing leaves.
Most sweet pea varieties will begin blooming in late spring or early summer (typically May or June).
However, in Northern California, sweet peas may bloom later, around September and October.
Sweet peas work well in any garden, where the plantattracts beesand other necessary pollinators.
Sweet peas are a cool-weather plant.
Plant your sweet peas in late winter or early spring when soil is workable.
These plants can endure occasional late-winter frosts.
North Carolina State Extension
Sweet Pea.
Fragrant Sweet Peas kindly the Gardener More Than the Bee.Oregon State University Extension Service.
Lathyrus Latifolius.North Carolina State Extension.
Lathyrus.North Carolina State Extension.
