There are few pests or problems associated with sweet peas. If you have seen plants come up from the dropped seeds, then it sounds like a good idea. What do you recommend as an option to Miracle Gro? During the growing season, sweet peas require steady, regular feeding and watering. I love the smell. Some guidance please....thank you. Another option is to allow sweet peas to grow in a clumping mound that will achieve a height of about 2 1/2 feet. I would like to have some growing on my garden arbor. Alkaline soil is best; sprinkle some powdered lime on the surface if your soil tends to be acidic. It reached its modern forms under the work of Scottish nurseryman Henry Eckford, who developed dozens of cultivars in the late 1800s. Any recommendations on what I can do to keep them going until I can get them into the ground when it's cooler? Im in Vermont - Zone 4.., can i grow sweet peas here? I live in zone 5...when and how can we transplant to another location..so that we can have it grow up instead of lieing on the the ground...thank you! Organic mulch will help that, but certain mulches can also harbor slugs, especially the coarser materials such as bark mulch or straw. When the plants reach about 3 to 6 inches tall in the garden, pinch the seedlings to encourage strong side shoots. Submitted by Glenise Heywood on May 22, 2019 - 1:52pm. I have a sweet pea that I moved about 7 years ago from my aunts home...we put it in a spot "temporaily" until we found a better place for it...and its still there! Sweet peas also work well in a vegetable garden, attracting bees and other pollinators needed in the vegetable garden. Sweet peas are usually direct sown. Will my sweet pea vine bloom more flowers if I pinch off the pea stems as soon as I see them? They thrive in full sun, although in warmer climates they do well in a location that receives partial sun, especially in the heat of the afternoon. Cultivated sweet peas go back at least 300 years. (Do not wait to sow until. Sweet peas are happiest with their heads in the sun and their roots deep in cool, moist soil. Sweet peas lend a cottage feel to gardens. However, it won't just stop growing where you cut it. Submitted by The Editors on August 20, 2018 - 4:51pm. This strain blooms in shades of white, cream, pink, lavender, and purple. I also use this method to weed out the slower growing "weaker" plants, Submitted by peter torrie on July 15, 2019 - 1:50pm, how can I stop 6ft.high sweetpeas growing to that height.can I just nip them off at 3ft, Submitted by Carena on July 16, 2019 - 6:10pm. I live in Tampa, Fl not sure what zone I live in. It’s worth experimenting with different seeds each year. Submitted by Jessica Harrison on May 17, 2018 - 12:04am, I just received my order of gorgeous blue king tut sweet peas on May 5th should i save them or would it be ok to go ahead and begin to germinate, Submitted by Thimy on April 23, 2018 - 12:41am. Prepare a rich soil by mixing in generous amounts of compost and well-rotted manure to a depth of 2 feet. that you have. You could transplant some in, say, mid-August and some later (and maybe not transplant a few to see how they go indoors). Except for the bush types, sweet peas are real climbers. The sweet pea is an essential member of a late-Victorian garden. Sweet peas prefer rich but well-drained soil. If you want to move the plant daily then you might be able to baby the plant. I am hoping to put ours in a container. After you dig the trench, make holes with a pencil, drop in the seeds, and press down on the soil to firm it and shut out any light. I put sweet pea seeds out this morning using the above method and a few of them have split open on their own already. If you put your finger into the soil bed to its first joint and the soil is dry: water them at the soil level and do so in the morning; sweet peas can suffer from bud drop. (Delicate Pleasures) You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. There are many wonderful sweet pea varieties available as seed. Summer rain may be ample. Wild sweet peas blooms from June through late September producing great masses of scentless blossoms. As seedlings emerge and grow, gradually fill in the trench. Hello. My sweet peas go like crazy here in PNW and I love them...my question is this... Harden seedlings off for at least a week, and then set them out into the garden as soon as the soil can be worked. By using The Spruce, you accept our, 10 Best Annual Flowering Vines for Your Garden. It is native to the Mediterranean including southern Italy, the Aegean Island region, Sicily, and Cyprus. (See specifics above.) When you are ready to transplant, pinch any flowers or buds off that may have formed, which will encourage root development. For many of us, sweet peas are an instant nostalgic reminder of the beautiful, rambunctious gardens maintained by grandparents. To encourage bushy growth, pinch off the tops when plants are 6 inches tall—not before or you’ll encourage premature side-shoot development. Some people have the knack, others don’t. I stopped on a dirt road this morning and couldn't resist digging up a couple of plants from a ditch to plant along a fenceline in my garden area. I am in Southern New Jersey, zone 7 and have full day sun in my garden. Cutting them at the preferred height will encourage the plant to grow more from the base, resulting in a bushier plant. As annuals, sweet peas can be grown in all USDA hardiness zones, though they do best in climates with relatively cool summers. Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) thrive in cool temperatures, so it's important to get them blooming early, before summer heat knocks them out. This is when their scent is the sweetest. Submitted by Nancy Gates on July 9, 2017 - 1:13pm. In Zone 7 or colder, plant them in very late winter or early spring as soon as the soil is dry enough to work. If you do want to add nourishment, use high potash feeds, as nitrogen feeds encourage too much top growth. Hello! It is most often seen trained up bamboo stakes or structures, but can also be left to form mounds or planted in containers where it spills over the sides.