Nadia Knows Gardens

Growing and Sowing Sweet Peas :)

09 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment

by nadiaqh in Flowers, Garden Design, organic gardening, Photography Tags: how to grow sweet peas, nadia's san diego garden blog, problems with sweet peas, Renee's Garden Seeds, sowing sweet peas

How did your sweet peas grow this year?

I tried a little experiment this year by planting sweet pea seeds in several locations.

1. Full sun exposure with early morning sunshine.

Full Sun Exposure Heirloom Sweet Peas

2. Second location with only afternoon sun.

Morning Shade with only 3 blooms

The full day sun with early morning exposure won by a long-shot. Prolific blooms and abundant foliage. The one secret that has worked wonders is soaking the seeds overnight prior to planting. This softens the hard outer shell of the seed and allows for quicker growth.

Here is a photo from one of my garden blog followers who experienced the same problem of growing sweet peas with no morning sun exposure. Her photo prompted me to write about this today

withering sweet peas

I have heard it be said that “gardening lessons only need to be learned once!”

Next year  choose a location with full sun in the morning and enjoy!

Notes from Renee’s Seeds Web Site:  Also complete growing and sowing guide can be found on Renee’s web site for Sweet Peas.

Growing sweet peas is really quite easy and rewarding if you follow the basics. In mild winter climates, where the ground does not freeze, sweet peas should be fall-sown in October or November for spring bloom. 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 planted in late January or February. In cold winter areas, plant in early spring as soon as soil can be worked; sweet peas can handle light frosts.

Plant your sweet peas in full sun in a garden spot with well-drained soil. If summer weather is hot very early in the season where you live, sweet peas can thrive in a spot with morning sun and bright afternoon shade. Dig deeply to loosen the soil and enrich it with aged manure or compost before planting seeds. Don’t forget to set up a well-anchored trellis, fence or vertical support for climbing varieties before planting seeds. If all your seeds don’t germinate in 10 days to two weeks, don’t hesitate to plant more as they will catch up quickly. Some gardeners like to soak sweet peas overnight before planting them; others never do it and still have good results. If you do soak seeds, be sure you leave them in water no longer than eight hours before planting immediately.