Tips for growing vigorous and productive sweet peas

The key to growing healthy sweet peas is to grow them cool. Here in Zone 7, we don’t seed our sweet peas until mid November. We plant the unsoaked seeds (no need to soak or nick) in deep seed trays so their roots have lots of space to develop and never give the trays bottom heat. As soon as seedlings have popped up, we place them outside and protect them from roaming mice. Grow your seedlings cool, meaning, do not baby them!! They are hardy to 20 degrees even in trays. Letting your seedlings grow cool creates a bushier plant with more flowers. Give your seedlings time to establish a healthy root system before you plant them in the ground (one to two months). Sweet peas need something to climb, plant them along a trellis.

Sweet peas are heavy feeders so plant them with compost and manure. Aphids love to feed on sweet peas, there are a number of aphid predators that can be used to keep aphid populations in control, like lady bugs and lacewings.

Large fluctuations in temperatures in the spring can cause sweet pea buds to drop (fall off), this is common and your plant with go on making new flowers. Bud drop ceases when temperatures level out.

Cut them frequently to enjoy their amazing scent inside your home.