Sweet peas
Look forward to lovely flowers with beautiful scent in summer
- Season
- Sow seeds in spring
- Name
Lathyrus odoratus
- Common Name
- Sweet peas
- Description
Sweet peas not only look pretty but they smell amazing too.
Growing Tips
Growing conditions
Sweet peas like a sunny home in the garden in fertile, well-drained soil.
When to grow
Sow the seeds in spring and you will have lovely flowers in the summer.
What you need
-
Packet of sweet pea seeds – there are lots of different colours to choose from
-
Seed compost
-
9cm plant pots
-
Plant label
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A clear polythene bag
How to grow
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Fill the pot with seed compost almost to the top. Make a hole with your finger and place six seeds in each pot.
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Cover the seeds with 1cm of compost.
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Water the seeds in (give them a drink of water) and cover them with the polythene bag.
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Keep the seeds at a temperature of about 15°C (59°F). After they have germinated, remove the covering.
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Transfer the seedlings to a cold frame. Over the winter, keep the frame open as much as possible but pro
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Plant the seedlings out in a sunny spot in the garden after the last spring frosts about 20-30 cm apart. Remember that slugs like to eat sweet peas!
Maintenance
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As they grow, support the plants using garden canes, pea sticks or a trellis.
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When the plants are about 10cm high, pinch out the tips, this helps to make a stronger bushier plant.
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Sweet peas will keep flowering if you pick the flowers regularly - a good excuse to have some beautiful flowers in your home.Remember- sweet pea seed pods look similar to edible pea pods but they are poisonous and must not be eaten.
