Finally, the coastal areas of the northeast are excellent areas to grow sweet peas for spring use. Sweet peas will need about 50 days of cool temperatures (under 60º F) to bloom gloriously in your garden.
Do sweet peas need cold stratification?
Some seeds, like Pansies or perennial Sweet Peas, need special treatment to be able to break dormancy and germinate! If you have wondered why you have never had luck germinating some plants from perfectly fresh seed, cold stratification may be what is needed!
What is the lowest temperature sweet peas can tolerate?
25°F
Generally, though, sweet peas are classed as half hardy annuals and will be fine in dry frost up to -4°C (25°F). If temperatures do drop below that, you’ll need to protect them with horticultural fleece.
When can I put my sweet peas outside?
You can plant your young sweet pea plants directly outside from March–May. Sweet pea seeds sown in autumn or winter will need to be potted on into larger pots before planting out. Those sown in spring can be planted out from their rootrainers.
How do you speed up sweet pea germination?
Soaking sweet pea seeds is supposed to soften the tough outer skin so that the seed can germinate more easily.
When should I start my sweet peas indoors?
But if you don’t get your sweet peas planted in fall, you can still get a nice crop, although a little later to bloom, if you give your seeds a head start by sowing indoors in seed containers in late January thru March to transplant into the garden as soon as soil can be worked; sweet peas can handle light frosts.
Can sweet peas grow in pots?
Sweet Peas grow beautifully in pots and containers. All they need are great soil, sunshine, water and something to climb. Then sit back and wait for your beautifully scented sweet peas to grow and flourish.
What temperatures can sweet peas tolerate?
A cold-hardy annual, sweet peas can tolerate a light freeze, but they require protection when temperatures drop below 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
Do sweet peas come back every year?
Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) only live for a year, dying after setting seed. But don’t let this put you off as they are super easy to grow from seed. Perennial species such as Lathyrus latifolius come back year after year, but mostly lack fragrance and there are fewer to choose from.
Can you plant sweet peas outside in April?
Plant out your seedlings in March and April in a sunny position. Sweet peas like well drained soil but as they are such hungry plants it’s a good idea to enrich your soil, by incorporating manure or garden compost.
Are sweet peas frost hardy?
Sweet peas are a hardy annual, which means they will tolerate cold, even a light frost below if freezing. They are tougher than they look and will take a regular frost down to around -4.
Do sweet peas need full sun?
Choose a spot in full sun or very light dappled shade with rich, well-drained soil. Add plenty of organic matter in the weeks before you plant the seedlings out.
What month do sweet peas flower?
One of the never ending discussions in gardening is whether to sow sweet pea seed in autumn or wait until the spring. The point of autumn sowing is that it gives plants a head start, so you should have a strong plant by March, which delivers earlier flowers than a spring-sown pea.
Can you plant sweet peas in January?
Sweet peas are annuals and can be sown in the spring. However, as with sowing the seeds in October, a January sowing enables the plants to develop strong roots, put on some early growth and provide larger plants to set out after the frosts.
Can sweet peas grow in a hanging basket?
If you have limited space in the garden, flowering sweet peas look fantastic tumbling out of hanging baskets.
Why won’t my sweet peas grow?
The reason your sweet peas are not blooming is often because of lack of sun, high temperatures or too much fertilizer. Sweet peas are native to the Mediterranean and flower best in full sun, medium to low nutrient soil with regular watering.
Should you start peas indoors?
Pea seeds are viable for 3 years. Sow seed indoors 8 to 6 weeks before the last frost in spring then transplant seedlings to the garden when they are 4 weeks old and a few weeks before the last expected frost; peas can withstand a light frost.
Does sweet pea climb?
Except for the bush types, sweet peas are real climbers. Give them at least 6 feet of good support. Some varieties may climb to 9 or 10 feet.
Do sweet peas need a lot of water?
Throughout the season you’ll need to keep your flowers well watered, as dry soil makes them go to seed quicker. Once your sweet pea plants are in full flower make sure that you dead-head them and remove seed pods as soon as possible to encourage more blooms to be produced.
Do sweet peas need deep pots?
Plant your peas in a container that’s at least 6 inches (15 cm.) deep and 8 inches (20 cm.) in diameter.
Why are my sweet pea leaves curling?
The leaves of your pea plant may start curling due to the presence of pests and insects. Aphids and other sucking insects, for instance, can cause their leaves to get distorted, leading to leaf curling. It could also be because of the presence of whiteflies, pests that may make your pea plant leaves curl upwards.