How to Grow Sweet Peas in Pots
When growing sweet peas, make sure to tie them to a support every few days to prevent them from leaning on their canes. You can also use soft string or sweet pea rings to tie the shoots to. You may need to cut off their tendrils, though, as these can wrap around the flower stems, resulting in bent stems. The goal is to tie the stems to support the plant, but don’t worry if you aren’t able to do this.
Choosing the best support is crucial when growing sweet peas. Because they are vines, sweet peas require some kind of support to grow tall. The vines grip the support with their tiny strong ropes called tendrils. If you want a bushy crop, consider installing a trellis around your garden. Alternatively, you can direct the young plants up the support rather than forcing them to climb.
You can plant sweet pea seeds indoors in mid-spring, providing they are hardened off. Ensure that the temperature in the seed tray is between 50-60F and 10-15C for the seeds to germinate. Once they are green, move them to a cool room of 5-10C to slow the growth of the seedlings. However, if you have time, consider planting them in the fall so you will get the best possible blooming time in the spring.
Once you’ve planted your sweet pea seeds, be sure to deadhead them. Deadheading encourages more flowers and prevents seedpods from developing. If you’re looking for an easy way to prolong the blooming season, sweet peas are a great choice. If you’d like to know more about growing sweet peas, check out Richard Jackson’s Flower Power. The book has everything you need to know about growing and caring for sweet peas.
To grow sweet peas from seed, you should choose a good peat-free potting compost. Sow the seeds in modules or small pots. They should be sown half an inch deep into the soil. Then, cover them with 1cm of compost and clear polythene, which is free from hotels. Sweet peas appreciate a deep growing space, so you may want to invest in a deep root trainer to promote a more vigorous and bushy growth.
You can sow sweet pea seeds a few weeks before you want them to flower. You can also weaken their seeds with a nail file, which is time-consuming but should increase the chance of success. Sweet peas need deep soil, and so you should plant them in root trainers, which are deep modules with open ends. These modules will prevent the seeds from being damaged while being planted. When planting sweet pea seeds in pots, use a half-inch depth to ensure they germinate properly.
To grow sweet peas in your garden, make sure to check your soil’s pH level. Sweet peas grow best in neutral or alkaline soil. They also prefer to be planted in a sunny spot, where they will get plenty of rain and food. And they don’t like to get too dry – so make sure to water them regularly and evenly. If you’re unsure about soil pH, contact the King Conservation District and they’ll test your soil for free.